Patent ID: 7176325

Claim:
A method of selectively acylating a taxane molecule, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing a solution of tetrahydrofuran and a taxane molecule having the formula: wherein R 1 is hydrogen; R 2 is a benzoyl group; R 4 is an acetate group; R 7 is hydrogen; R 10 is hydrogen or an acetate group; and Rx is N═CHRc or —NHC(O)R n , wherein Rc is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an vinyl group, or an ether group; and R n is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, a vinyl group, or an ether group; and (b) contacting the solution with a hindered base and an acylating agent thereby to selectively acylate the hydroxyl group located at the C-2′ position, wherein the hindered base is selected from the group consisting of pyridine derivatives substituted at least at the 2-position, N,N-diisopropylisobutylamine, N-ethyldicyclohexylamine, triethylmntine, trilsopropylanilne, tripropylamine, iniidazole, 1,5-diazabicylo[4.3.0]non-5-ene, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, and 1,8-diazabicylo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene.