Methoxyacetic acid esters: Applications in protecting group and glycosylation chemistry

Abstract

The methoxyacetate (MAc) protecting group was introduced over 50 years ago and has proved useful owing to its combination of stability and its ability to be selectively removed in the presence of unactivated esters and a wide variety of other protecting groups. Glycosyl methoxyacetates have been investigated as glycosyl donors under activation by lanthanoids. In this mini-review we highlight a range of useful transformations enabled by judicious application of the methoxyacetate group.