[reaction: see text] A very efficient method for the simultaneous protection of the amino group and activation of the carboxyl group of amino acids is reported using propargyl pentafluorophenyl carbonate (PocOPfp). The amino group is protected as a propargyloxycarbonyl (Poc) derivative, and the carboxyl group is activated as a pentafluorophenyl ester. The yields obtained are good to excellent ranging from 60 to 87%.
Propargyl esters are employed as effective protecting groups for the carboxyl group during solution-phase peptide synthesis. The propargyl ester groups can be introduced onto free amino acids by treating them with propargyl alcohol saturated with HCl. The reaction between propargyl groups and tetrathiomolybdate is exploited to deblock the propargyl esters. The removal of the propargyl group with the neutral reagent tetrathiomolybdate ensures that most of the other protecting groups used in peptide synthesis are untouched. Both acid labile and base labile protecting groups can be removed in the presence of a propargyl ester. Amino acids protected as propargyl esters are employed to synthesize di- to tetrapeptides in solution-phase demonstrating the possible synthetic utilities of the methodology. The methodology described here could be a valuable addition to currently available strategies for peptide synthesis.
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