Patent ID: 6967247

Claim:
A method of using a phosphorus-deprotecting compounds, wherein the compound is 2-methyl-5-t-butylthiophenol; the method comprising contacting said phosphorus-deprotecting compound and a protected phosphorus-containing compound of formula II: wherein Ak is C 1 -C 10 alkyl, G is O or S, and L 1 and L 2 include one or more of: nucleotides linked by phosphate or thiophosphate groups, or oligonucleotide chains, for a period sufficient to remove Ak from the phosphorus-containing compound, thereby forming a deprotected compound of the formula: wherein G, has the same meaning as in formula II, L′ 1 is L 1 optionally having at least one deprotected phosphorus group, and L′ 2 is L 2 optionally having at least one deprotected phosphorus group.