Magnesium/hydrazinium monoformate: a new hydrogenation method for removal of some commonly used protecting groups in peptide synthesis

Removal of some commonly used protecting groups in peptide synthesis by catalytic transfer hydrogenation employing hydrazinium monoformate and magnesium is described. This method is equally competitive with other methods in deblocking most of the commonly used protecting groups in peptide synthesis. tert-Butyl derived and base labile protecting groups were completely stable under these conditions. The use of Mg/NH2–NH2·HCOOH makes this a rapid, low-cost alternative to palladium and reduces the work-up to a simple and extraction operation.