The Preparation of New Phosphorus-Centered Functional Groups for Modified Oligonucleotides and Other Natural Phosphates

Efforts to develop synthetic methodologies allowing the preparation of α,α– difluorophosphonothioates, α,α–difluorophosphonodithioates, α,α–difluorophosphono- trithioates, and α,α–difluorophosphinates are reviewed in the light of applications in the field of modified oligonucleotides and cyclitol phosphates. Two successful approaches have been developed, based either on the addition of phosphorus-centered radicals onto gem–difluoroalkenes or on a process involving the addition of lithiodifluorophosphono- thioates 91 onto a ketone and the subsequent deoxygenation reaction of the adduct. The radical route successfully developed a practical route to α,α–difluoro–H–phosphinates which proved to be useful intermediates to a variety of phosphate isosters. The ionic route led to the first preparation of phosphonodifluoromethyl analogues of nucleoside– 3’–phosphates