| abstract |
New protecting reagents are provided that allow for the selective placement of a new protecting group onto a reactive site of a multifunctional compound. The reagents are 2, 3, and 4-trialkylsilylxylyl, triarylsilylxylyl or a combination of alkyl-aryl silylxylyl reagents (TIX reagents), which carry a TIX protecting group for protecting alcohols as ethers, urethanes, carbonates, acetals; amines as carbamates or ureas; and thiols as ethers or esters. The invention also provides methods of forming the 2, 3, and 4-TIX reagents; introducing the TIX protecting groups to molecules bearing hydroxyl groups, amine groups, or thiol groups; methods of removing the TIX protecting groups; and intermediate compounds formed during any one of these methods. The invention further provides methods useful in producing epothilones and analogs and derivatives thereof. |