SYNTHETIC STUDIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS ON POLYMER SUPPORTS .2. MECHANISMS OF PHOSPHORYLATION WITH CARBODI-IMIDES AND ARENESULPHONYL CHLORIDES

A variety of hydroxylated polystyrenes has been prepared and characterised. They are readily esterified by monoalkyl phosphates in conjunction with either dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide or an arenesulphonyl chloride. Polymer phosphate monoesters are produced by dealkylation of suitable polymer diesters but these do not interact with alcohols to give phosphate diesters in the presence of either type of condensing reagent. These observations support a mechanism of phosphorylation which requires co-operative interaction of at least three phosphate residues.