A nucleotide monomer of structure I having a 2'-hydroxyl protecting group: wherein B is selected from a base and a base including a base protecting group; wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, uracil, 1-methyladenine, 2- methyladenine, N6-methyladenine, N6-isopentyladenine, 2-methylthio-N6- isopentyladenine, N,N-dimethyladenine, 8-bromoadenine, 2-thiocytosine, 3-methylcytosine, 5-methylcytosine, 5-ethylcytosine, 4-acetylcytosine, 1-methylguanine, 2-methylguanine, 7- methylguanine, 2,2-dimethylguanine, 8-bromoguanine, 8-chloroguanine, 8-aminoguanine, 8-methylguanine, 8-thioguanine, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-chlorouracil, 5-iodouracil, 5-ethyluracil, 5-propyluracil, 5-methoxyuracil, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, 5-(carboxyhydroxymethyl)uracil, 5-(methylaminomethyl)uracil, 5- (carboxymethylaminomethyl)-uracil, 2-thiouracil, 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 5-(2- bromovinyl)uracil, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid methyl ester, pseudouracil, 1-methylpseudouracil, queosine, inosine, 1-methylinosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, 2-aminopurine, 6-hydroxyaminopurine, 6-thiopurine, and 2,6-diaminopurine; wherein the protecting group is selected from the group consisting of groups Ic through Xc: wherein Q is selected from one of sulfur and oxygen; R is selected from an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, and a substituted aryl group; R' and R" are independently selected from a halogen, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, and a substituted aryl group; R 15 is selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl, and a substituted aryl group; R 16 is one or more groups, wherein each R 16 is attached to one of the carbons in the carbon ring, wherein each R 16 are independently selected from H, a halogen, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, a substituted alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, a substituted aryloxy group, an amino group, a substituted amino group, a nitro group, a nitrile group, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl, and a substituted aryl group, wherein when R 16 is more than one, two or more of R 16 are optionally cyclically connected to each other; and R 17,.R 16, and R 19, are each independently selected from H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl, and a substituted aryl group; wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from H, a hydroxyl protecting group, and wherein either R 1 or R 2 is wherein R 3 is selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl, and a substituted aryl group; wherein R 4 and R 5 are each independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl, and a substituted aryl group; and wherein 2HPG is a 2'-hydroxyl protecting group selected from one of the following groups: wherein R 6,R 7,and R 8 are each independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl group, and a substituted aryl group; wherein R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl with an electron-withdrawing group, and a substituted aryl group with an electron-withdrawing group, wherein R 11 is selected from an ester protecting group and a silyl protecting group, wherein each R 12, is one or more groups, wherein R 12, is bonded to a carbon on the ring, wherein each R 12,is selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl with an electron-withdrawing group, and a substituted aryl group with an electron-withdrawing group; and wherein R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl with an electron-withdrawing group, and a substituted aryl group with an electron withdrawing group, wherein SR 14 includes one or more groups, wherein each SR 14 is attached to one of the carbons in the carbon ring, wherein each SR 14 is a thioether selected from a thio-alkyl group, a thioaryl group, a substituted thioalkyl group, a substituted thioaryl group, wherein R 14 is selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl group, a substituted aryl group, and wherein SG includes one or more groups, wherein each SG is attached to one of the carbons in the carbon ring, wherein each SG is selected from H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted alkyl with an electron-donating group, a substituted aryl group with an electron-donating group, and an electron-donating group in the ortho or para position to the thioether SR 14; wherein the electron-withdrawing group is selected from the group consisting of nitro, acyl, formyl, sulfonyl, trifluoromethyl, cyano, and chloride; wherein the electron-donating group is selected from the group consisting of amino, methoxy, and alkyl.