Novel method for monitoring the coupling efficiency in solid phase peptide synthesis*

Abstract

The method reported here involves tritylation of the uncoupled amino groups with an active tritylating agent generated in situ from 4,4′‐dimethoxytrityl chloride and tetra‐n‐butylammonium perchlorate, and subsequent release of the trityl cation under mild acid treatment. Spectrophotometric measurement of the trityl color determines the coupling yield. This approach has been successfully tested by synthesizing an octapeptide. Some of the advantages of this method are pointed out.