Abstract: The present invention generally relates to compounds that include one or more thermally labile protecting groups, compositions including the compounds, methods of making the compounds and compositions and methods of using the compounds and compositions. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a compound of the structure XO—CH2—SM-B-A. The substituent X is H, an acid labile protecting group, a solid support, —P(O—R1)NR2R3, —P(O)(OH)H, —P(O)(OR1)H, —P(O)(OH)2, —P(O)(OH)O—P(O)(OH)OP(O)(OH)2 or salts thereof. The substituent R1 is CNE (i.e., cyanoethyl), alkyl, or heteroalkyl and R2 and R3 are independently alkyl. The substituent SM is a sugar moiety or analogue thereof that is not a natural furanosyl, B is a base moiety or analogue thereof, and A is a moiety attached to a nitrogen on or in the base moiety of the structure —C(O)OR4, wherein R4 is tertiary alkyl.