Nucleotide Coupling in Reverse Micelles

Nucleotide coupling was investigated in reverse micelles formed by (cetyl)trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), in hexane/pentan‐1‐o1. In particular, the coupling of 2′ ‐deoxy‐5′‐O‐methylcytidine 3′ O‐phosphate, prepared by phosphoramidite chemistry, with 5′‐amino‐5‐deoxythymidine was studied in the presence of a H2O‐soluble carbodiimide at (wo) = 11 and 22 (wo=[H2O]/[CTAB]). The effect of wo on the reaction rate was investigated. A solid‐phase strategy was developed for the synthesis of 2′‐deoxy‐5′O‐methyl‐cytidyl‐(3′‐5′)‐5′‐amino‐5′deoxythymidine. The nucleotide coupling yieldig the expected product occurred readily in reverse micelles. Nucleotide coupling is thus possible in reverse micelles, and this is discussed in connection with the micellar self‐replication program.