Coupling in the absence of tertiary amines. V. Removal of the 2-nitrobenzenesulfenyl (NPS) group with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole in the presence of aniline or N-methylaniline.

In a search for conditions of acidolytic removal of amine protecting groups leading to salts of the deblocked amine that can be acylated without addition of a tertiary amine, cleavage of the 2-nitrobenzenesulfenyl (Nps) group with hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol was attempted. The Nps group was smoothly removed, but the resulting salt of the amine component could not be acylated unless deprotonated with a tertiary base. A rationale is now proposed for this unsatisfactory outcome of the cleavage reaction and for the concomitant surprising reduction of HOBt to benzotriazole. Based on the proposed mechanism, a new approach was designed for the removal of the Nps group. It was cleaved with HOBt in the presence of weakly basic nucleophiles such as aniline, N-methylaniline or 8-aminoquinoline. The protecting group was transferred smoothly to the amino group of the nucleophilic acceptor leaving the deblocked amine component in the form of its HOBt salt. This was then readily acylated without addition of a tertiary amine.