Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester is a protected amino acid derivative in which L-glutamic acid is converted to the α-methyl ester and the α-amino group is masked with a Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl) protecting group. The molecule contains a Boc-protected amino functionality, a methyl ester at the α-carboxyl position, and a free side-chain carboxylic acid characteristic of glutamate, with stereochemistry consistent with the L configuration indicated in the name. This compound is used as a stepwise building block for peptide and amino acid derivative synthesis, where the Boc group helps control chemoselectivity during coupling while the ester and free side-chain carboxyl group provide defined handles for further functionalization or incorporation into larger peptide structures.
CAT No: CP00709
CAS No:72086-72-7
Synonyms/Alias:BOC-GLU-OME;72086-72-7;(S)-4-((tert-Butoxycarbonyl)amino)-5-methoxy-5-oxopentanoicacid;(4S)-4-{[(tert-butoxy)carbonyl]amino}-5-methoxy-5-oxopentanoicacid;(S)-4-((tert-Butoxy(hydroxy)methylene)amino)-5-methoxy-5-oxopentanoicacid;PubChem12017;SCHEMBL2306568;MolPort-020-000-693;MolPort-028-751-565;ZAYAFKXUQMTLPL-ZETCQYMHSA-N;ACT10904;Boc-L-glutamicacida-methylester;ZINC2555008;Boc-L-glutamicacid|A-methylester;MFCD00076931;AKOS015920012;AKOS025395629;AM81698;Boc-L-glutamicacidalpha-methylester;CS15750;VA50598;AJ-39668;AK-44077;AN-37459;BR-44077
Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester is a protected L-glutamate derivative bearing a Boc-protecting group on the α-amino functionality and a methyl ester at the α-carboxyl position, while retaining the side-chain γ-carboxylic acid for further derivatization. This combination of orthogonal functional handles makes it a practical building block for peptide and peptidomimetic assembly where controlled activation of the side-chain carboxylate and reliable handling of the α-terminus are required. In synthetic workflows, the Boc group supports standard amide-forming strategies, and the methyl ester provides a protected carboxyl site that can be selectively manipulated during downstream coupling and intermediate preparation.
1. Peptide Coupling Building Block
Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester is used as a glutamate-containing amino acid building block for constructing peptides and peptide fragments where the α-amino group is protected as Boc and the α-carboxyl is present as a methyl ester. Researchers performing custom peptide synthesis and peptide library construction rely on this form to introduce glutamate residues with controlled reactivity, enabling sequential coupling steps that preserve the intended substitution pattern at the α-position. The remaining glutamate side-chain carboxyl functionality provides a handle for side-chain protection or for subsequent functionalization, supporting workflows that generate protected glutamate segments for later assembly into longer sequences.
2. Protected Glutamate Intermediate
Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester is frequently selected as a pharmaceutical intermediate precursor when a glutamate unit must be carried through multi-step synthesis with the α-amino group masked and the α-carboxyl temporarily esterified. Medicinal chemistry teams developing peptidomimetic scaffolds or glutamate-derived linkers use this derivative to manage chemoselectivity across coupling, activation, and protection/deprotection sequences. The methyl ester and Boc-protected amino group together allow preparation of downstream derivatives that require controlled exposure of the glutamate side-chain carboxylate for subsequent transformations, including conversion to activated carboxylic acid forms or incorporation into amide-containing intermediates.
3. Solution-Phase Fragment Assembly
Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester supports solution-phase peptide synthesis strategies that build peptide fragments by iterative amide bond formation while maintaining orthogonal protection at the amino terminus. In segment condensation workflows, the Boc group provides a stable protecting group for the α-amino functionality during coupling operations, while the α-methyl ester helps define the α-carboxyl reactivity profile during fragment assembly. Peptide chemists developing stereochemically defined glutamate-containing fragments use this building block to streamline the preparation of glutamate-bearing intermediates that can be carried into subsequent coupling steps with the desired side-chain carboxyl handling.
4. Carboxyl Functionalization Platform
Boc-L-glutamic acid α-methyl ester serves as a starting platform for generating glutamate derivatives where the side-chain carboxyl group is transformed into activated or protected forms prior to further incorporation into complex molecules. Chemical biology and materials research groups often require glutamate-based linkers or scaffold units that can be converted into carboxylate-reactive intermediates for later coupling to amines or other nucleophiles. The combination of Boc protection and α-methyl ester functionality helps maintain the derivative's integrity during side-chain carboxyl derivatization, enabling controlled preparation of glutamate-containing conjugation-ready building blocks used in linker synthesis and functional polymer or surface modification development.
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