Syntheses and reactivities of non-symmetrical “active ester” bi-dentate cross-linking reagents having a phthalimidoyl and acid chloride, 2-benzothiazole, or 1-benzotriazole group

We have newly synthesized the non-symmetrical "phthalimidoyl active ester" bi-dentate cross-linking reagents having an acid chloride, 2-benzothiazole, or 1-benzotriazole group (i.e., 9, 15, and 16) on the basis of the reactivity study of the "active ester" model compounds, 11–14, toward the various nucleophiles and examined their reaction selectivity towards the same nucleophiles. Then, we applied for the modification of cholesterol at the more reactive site of the bi-dentate linkers to give 3β-cholesteryl 4-(phthalimidoyloxycarbonyl)butyrate (39), and the subsequent reaction of 39 with several amines, such as benzylamine, 4-chlorobenzylamine, 2-phenylethylamine, L-phenylalanine methyl ester, or diphenylalanine benzyl ester as a protein model of the cholesterol antigen.