N-Substituted glycines (peptoids) are a class of peptidomimetic molecules used as materials for health, environmental, and drug delivery applications. Automated solid-phase synthesis is the most widely used approach for preparing polypeptoids, with a range of published protocols and modifications for selected synthetic targets. Simultaneously, emerging solutionphase syntheses are being leveraged to overcome limitations in solid-phase synthesis and access high-molecular weight polypeptoids. This Perspective aims to outline strategies for the optimization of both solid-and solution-phase synthesis, provide technical considerations for robotic synthesizers, and offer an outlook on advances in synthetic methodologies. The solid-phase synthesis sections explore steps for protocol optimization, accessing complex side chains, and adaptation to robotic synthesizers; the sections on solution-phase synthesis cover the selection of initiators, side chain compatibility, and strategies for controlling polymerization efficiency and scale. This text acts as a "field guide" for researchers aiming to leverage the flexibility and adaptability of peptoids in their research.
Peptoids are a class of sequence-controlled polymers that provide a versatile platform for the design of bioinspired materials. Solid-phase synthetic methods offer absolute control over the polypeptoid sequence and have been optimized to improve reaction efficiency and versatility. However, these solid-phase strategies rely on the use of reprotoxic and restricted solvents, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), resulting in significant hazardous solvent consumption and waste generation. Here we report the solid-phase synthesis of peptoids with complete elimination of DMF and NMP and their replacement with greener solvents and binary mixtures to minimize the environmental impact and improve the sustainability of peptoid synthesis. We investigate the resin swelling performance of the green solvents and show that the purity profile and yield of the final peptoids are not adversely affected when compared to those synthesized in traditional solid-phase solvents. Furthermore, we adapt these greener methods for use on automated synthesizers for the synthesis of peptoids with different sequences and longer chain lengths. The replacement of hazardous solvents in solid-phase peptoid synthesis represents an advance in the sustainability of peptoid research, which could improve the translation of peptoids from academic labs to industry.
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