A photoreactive analogue of the immunosuppressant FTY720.

An azido group was incorporated into the immunomodulatory agent FTY720, accomplishing the first synthesis of a photoactivatable analogue of this ligand (2) in 9 steps from 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol and in 34% overall yield. The key steps are formation of a primary amine at a quaternary center of aniline derivative 13 followed by selective diazotization of the arylamine.