Reagent for protection of carboxyl groups as their 9-fluorenylmethyl (Fm) esters, which improve solubility of the molecule in organic solvents. Fm esters can be formed, e.g. by the DCC-DMAP method: Tetrahedron Lett., 24, 281 (1983), or by imidazole-catalyzed transesterification of active esters of N-protected amino acids: Int. J. Pept. Prot. Res., 21, 196 (1983).
Can also be used to protect phosphate groups in oligonucleotide synthesis: J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 803 (1973).
