2,5-Dimethylphenacyl as a new photoreleasable protecting group for carboxylic acids

The 2,5-dimethylphenacyl chromophore, a new photoremovable protecting group for carboxylic acids, is proposed. Direct photolysis of various 2,5-dimethylphenacyl esters in benzene or methanol at 254-366 nm leads to the formation of the corresponding carboxylic acids in almost quantitative isolated yields. The photodeprotection is based on efficient intramolecular hydrogen abstraction without the necessity of introducing a photosensitizer.