Microwave-assisted spectrophotometric estimation of polymer-supported functional groups using a universal reagent

A rapid method has been developed for the estimation of polymer-supported f unctionalities under microwave irradiation. The method involves the use of a novel universal reagent, S-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl)-3-mercaptopropionic aci d (DMPA) for the estimation of polymer-supported hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl a nd mercaptoalkyl functionalities in the presence of triphenylphosphine-brom otrichloromethane (TPP-BTCM) as an oxidation-reduction coupling reagent. Th e loadings obtained on the supports following the proposed method were foun d to be comparable with those obtained with the standard, 4,4'-dimethoxytri tyl chloride (DMTr-Cl), method. The usefulness of the method was further de monstrated by monitoring the functionalization of polymer supports, suitabl e for solid-phase peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.