A new synthetic pathway for the formation of deoxyguanosine-monoarylamine a
dducts is described, involving the generation and use of arylnitrenes as el
ectrophilic synthons. Photolysis of aryl azides, the most common method for
generating arylnitrenes, was tested in the presence of 2'-deoxyguanosine.
N-(2'-Deoxyguanosin-8-yl)monoarylamine (dG-C8-Ar) adducts were obtained, bu
t the yields were typically low. Deoxygenation of nitro- and nitrosoarenes
by triethyl phosphite in the presence of 2'-deoxyguanosine proved to be an
effective method, by which dG-C8-Ar, (2'-deoxyguanosin-N1-yl)mono arylamine
(dG-N1-Ar), and (2'-deoxyguanosin-O-6-yl)monoarylamine (dG-O-6-Ar) adducts
were obtained in acceptable yields.