Temporary chemical transformation of a reactive group into a group that does not react under conditions where the non-protected
group reacts.
Note:
For example, trimethylsilylation is a typical transformation used to protect reactive functional groups, such as hydroxy or amino groups, from
their reaction with growing anionic species in anionic polymerization.
Source:
PAC, 2004, 76, 889
(Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric
materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003))
on page 894