NSF Award
9060180
The use of protecting groups is a vital tool in the synthesis of multifunctional molecules such as valuable "new generation" pharmaceuticals. When a reaction must be carried out at a specific reaction site, protecting groups are used to temporarily block other sensitive reaction sites on the molecule. Substituted benzyl alcohols are particularly useful as protecting groups. They are prepared by reacting electrophiles with a simple derivitive of benzyl alcohol, i.e., benzyl alcohol ester. Although this reaction proceeds in excellent yield, it results in a mixture of isomers with similar physical properties. Separation of these isomers is technically difficult and expensive. This proposal is aimed toward the development of a novel membrane-based process to address this problem.
