Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Deprotection of <i>p</i>-Methoxybenzyl Ether

Abstract

The p-methoxybenzyl protecting group was readily removed from alcohols and phenols using catalytic amounts of AlCl3 or SnCl2•2H2O in the presence of EtSH at room temperature. Under these mild conditions other protecting groups such as methyl and benzyl ethers, p-nitrobenzoyl esters, TBDPS ethers and isopropylidene acetal were unchanged.