UPS on Weinreb Resin: A Facile Solid-Phase Route to Aldehyde and Ketone Derivatives of “Unnatural” Amino Acids and Peptides

The solid-phase synthesis of "unnatural" amino aldehydes, amino ketones, peptide aldehydes, and peptide ketones was accomplished from commercially available resin in a series of room temperature reactions. The initial step involved addition of an "unnatural" side chain to the N-terminus of a benzophenone imine-activated Weinreb resin-bound amino acid or peptide derivative. The alkylated imine was hydrolyzed, and the amine was converted to the Boc-, Cbz-, or naphthoyl derivative. The resin-bound substrate was then cleaved with DIBAL-H or a Grignard reagent to give the amino aldehyde, amino ketone, peptide aldehyde, or peptide ketone products. Twenty-four reactions were carried out simultaneously using a "Billboard" reaction apparatus to give products in 27-87% (59% average) isolated yield.