Coumarin-4-ylmethoxycarbonyls as Phototriggers for Alcohols and Phenols

Caged compounds can be used to regulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of signaling molecules in live cells. Photochemical properties of coumarin-4-ylmethoxy carbonates (1a−d) are investigated to construct caged compounds of hydroxy-containing molecules. All the compounds possess desired properties as phototriggers for alcohols and phenols. The 6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-ylmethoxycarbonyl (Bhcmoc) group has the highest photochemical efficiency and is applied to make caged compounds of 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (diC8), Tyr-OMe, and adenosine.