The 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl group as a 5'-OH protection in oligonucleotide synthesis.

Oligo-DNAs are synthesized on a solid support using the 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl group as a 5'-OH base labile protection. The synthesis of the pure protected nucleotides, a relevant phosphoramidite-type strategy of coupling, and the optimization of the deprotection steps are described. This new synthetic method is an alternative to the standard protocol that avoids acidic conditions.