Abstract
The anion [P4O11](2-), employed as its bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium (PPN) salt, is shown herein to be a versatile reagent for nucleophile tetraphosphorylation. Treatment under anhydrous conditions with an alkylamine base and a nucleophile (HNuc(1)), such as an alcohol (neopentanol, cyclohexanol, 4-methylumbelliferone, and Boc-Tyr-OMe), an amine (propargylamine, diethylamine, morpholine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, and isopropylamine), dihydrogen phosphate, phenylphosphonate, azide ion, or methylidene triphenylphosphorane, results in nucleophile substituted tetrametaphosphates ([P(4)O(11)Nuc(1)](3-)) as mixed PPN and alkylammonium salts in 59% to 99% yield. Treatment of the resulting functionalized tetrametaphosphates with a second nucleophile (HNuc(2)), such as hydroxide, a phenol (4-methylumbelliferone), an amine (propargylamine and ethanolamine), fluoride, or a nucleoside monophosphate (uridine monophosphate, deoxyadenosine monophosphate, and adenosine monophosphate), results in ring opening to linear tetraphosphates bearing one nucleophile on each end ([Nuc(1)(PO3)(3)PO(2)Nuc(2-)](4-)). When necessary, these linear tetraphosphates are purified by reverse phase or anion exchange HPLC, yielding triethylammonium or ammonium salts in 32% to 92% yield from [PPN](2)[P4O11]. Phosphorylation of methylidene triphenylphosphorane as Nuc(1) yields a new tetrametaphosphate-based ylide ([Ph3PCHP4O11](3-), 94% yield). Wittig olefination of 2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-deoxy-5'-uridylaldehyde using this ylide results in a 3'-deoxy-3',4'-didehydronucleotide derivative, isolated as the triethylammonium salt in 54% yield.