Preparation and Structure ofβ-Peptides Consisting of Geminally Disubstitutedβ2,2- andβ3,3-Amino Acids: A Turn Motif forβ-Peptides

Abstract

We report on the synthesis of new and previously described β-peptides (1 – 6), consisting of up to twelve β2,2- or β3,3-geminally disubstituted β-amino acids which do not fit into any of the secondary structural patterns of β-peptides, hitherto disclosed. The required 2,2- and 3,3-dimethyl derivatives of 3-aminopropanoic acid are readily obtained from 3-methylbut-2-enoic acid and ammonia (Scheme 1) and from Boc-protected methyl 3-aminopropanoate by enolate methylation (Scheme 2). Protected (Boc for solution-, Fmoc for solid-phase syntheses) 1-(aminomethyl)cycloalkanecarboxylic-acid derivatives (with cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane, and cyclohexane rings) are obtained from 1-cyanocycloalkanecarboxylates and the corresponding dihaloalkanes (Scheme 3). Fully 13C- and 15N-labeled 3-amino-2,2-dimethylpropanoic-acid derivatives were prepared from the corresponding labeled precursors (see asterixed formula numbers and Scheme 4). Coupling of these amino acids was achieved by methods which we had previously employed for other β-peptide syntheses (intermediates 18 – 23). Crystal structures of Boc-protected geminally disubstituted amino acids (16a – d) and of the corresponding tripeptide (23a), as well as NMR and IR spectra of an isotopically labeled β-hexapeptide (2a*) are presented (Figs. 1 – 4) and discussed. The tripeptide structure contains a ten-membered H-bonded ring which is proposed to be a turn-forming motif for β-peptides (Fig. 2).