Protection for the Thiol Group

Protection for the thiol group is important in many areas of organic research, particularly in peptide and protein syntheses. The synthesis of coenzyme A requires the use of thiol protective groups. A free –SH group can be protected as a thioether or a thioester, or oxidized to a symmetrical disulfide, from which it is regenerated by reduction. This chapter discusses some synthetically useful thiol protective groups. Some of the more useful groups are included in Reactivity Chart 7 (Chapter 10).