US Patent 7893286 Method for the synthesis of phospholipid ethers

Disclosed are improved methods for the synthesis of phospholipid ether analogs and alkyl phosphocholine analogs. The methods allow greater versatility of the reactants used and greater ease in synthesizing alkyl chains of varying length while affording reaction temperatures at room temperature or below. The methods disclosed herein provide reactants and conditions using alkyl halides and organozinc reagents and do not utilize Gringard reactions thus, allowing greater ease of their separation and purity of products. The PLE compounds synthesized by the methods disclosed herein can also be used for synthesizing high specific activity phospholipid ether (PLE) analogs, for use in treatment and diagnosis of cancer.