DL-Cyclopentylglycine

DL-Cyclopentylglycine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid derivative of glycine in which the side chain is replaced by a cyclopentylmethyl substituent, giving a cycloalkyl-bearing amino acid scaffold with a free amino group and a free carboxyl group. The molecule exists as a DL mixture, providing both stereochemical forms at the amino-bearing carbon, and its side chain presents a hydrophobic cyclopentyl group that can modulate conformational preferences and intermolecular interactions in peptide-like structures. DL-Cyclopentylglycine is used in peptide synthesis and structure-activity or structure-property studies to introduce a cycloalkyl side chain that can support chemical biology labeling strategies and analytical method development involving non-natural amino acid incorporation.

Designed for biological research and industrial applications, not intended for individual clinical or medical purposes.

CAT No: CP21503

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M.W/Mr.
143.18

DL-Cyclopentylglycine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid derivative featuring a cyclopentyl side chain attached to the alpha-carbon, providing a sterically defined, hydrophobic residue for peptide and peptidomimetic design. The molecule contains the amino and carboxyl functional groups, which can be converted into peptide-coupling-ready forms through standard protection and activation strategies, while the saturated carbocycle side chain can participate in hydrophobic packing and conformational bias within larger scaffolds. The DL stereochemical designation indicates a racemic mixture at the chiral center, which is relevant for studies where stereochemical effects are evaluated or where racemic incorporation is acceptable for screening and intermediate synthesis. As an amino acid building block, DL-Cyclopentylglycine can be transformed into protected amino acid derivatives and downstream intermediates for amide bond formation, side-chain functional elaboration, and synthetic method development.

1. Peptide Synthesis

DL-Cyclopentylglycine supports peptide coupling workflows where a hydrophobic, cycloalkyl-bearing residue is required for amide bond construction. The amino acid backbone enables conversion to N-protected and C-activated forms, allowing integration into linear peptides using common peptide coupling chemistries and subsequent deprotection to reveal the free amine for chain extension. The cyclopentyl side chain can influence local conformations and can be used to probe backbone-side-chain packing in peptide analogs or to generate libraries of hydrophobic variants. Racemic availability can be applied in exploratory peptide synthesis where stereochemical resolution is deferred to later stages or where mixed stereochemistry is acceptable for structure-activity relationship studies.

2. Peptidomimetics And SAR

DL-Cyclopentylglycine is suitable for peptidomimetic construction and structure-activity relationship studies that require a non-aromatic, saturated hydrophobic side chain. The cyclopentyl group provides a steric and lipophilic handle that can modulate binding pocket interactions when incorporated into peptide-like scaffolds or constrained analogs. Derivatization of the amino and carboxyl functionalities into protected intermediates enables systematic substitution into analog series, supporting SAR-driven optimization of hydrophobic surface area and conformational preferences. Downstream transformations can generate amide-linked fragments for fragment-based molecular design, as well as stereochemical follow-up routes when enantioenriched analogs are later required.

3. Chiral Building Block Development

DL-Cyclopentylglycine functions as a practical starting material for chiral amino acid intermediate preparation where racemic material is used before stereochemical separation. The single stereocenter at the alpha-carbon allows downstream resolution strategies to produce enantiopure cyclopentylglycine derivatives, which can then be reintroduced into protected amino acid formats for stereocontrolled peptide synthesis. N- and C-protection strategies can be employed to maintain the stereochemical integrity during activation, coupling, and deprotection steps. The resulting enantioenriched building blocks can serve as chiral precursors for downstream synthesis of stereodefined peptidomimetics and amino acid-derived fragments used in research-grade medicinal chemistry.

4. Side-Chain Functionalization

DL-Cyclopentylglycine can be leveraged for amino acid modification routes that introduce additional functionality onto the cyclopentylglycine framework while preserving the amino acid as a coupling-ready core. The cyclopentyl side chain can be used as a hydrophobic scaffold for subsequent derivatization, enabling preparation of analogs bearing altered steric bulk or functional substituents for targeted molecular recognition studies. Protection of the amino group and activation or esterification of the carboxyl group facilitate selective transformations that focus on side-chain chemistry without premature polymerization or uncontrolled coupling. The resulting functionalized amino acid derivatives can be used to generate downstream amide-linked intermediates for fine chemical synthesis and applied scaffold diversification.

5. Pharmaceutical Intermediate Preparation

DL-Cyclopentylglycine is applicable to process chemistry intermediate preparation where a non-proteinogenic amino acid residue is required for manufacturing of peptide-like building blocks. The presence of both amino and carboxyl groups enables conversion into protected amino acid derivatives, such as N-protected species and activated esters or acids, which can be fed into controlled coupling steps for producing defined amide-linked intermediates. The cyclopentyl side chain provides a reproducible hydrophobic motif that can be incorporated into larger synthetic sequences, including late-stage fragment assembly for medicinal chemistry and specialty chemical production. Racemic starting material can align with industrial workflows that accept racemic intermediates for screening or for later stereochemical adjustment, supporting scalable amino acid derivative manufacturing routes.

6. Analytical Research Standards

DL-Cyclopentylglycine can serve as an analytical reference material for amino acid derivatization method development and chiral or achiral profiling of cycloalkylglycine-containing samples. The amino acid structure supports conversion into detectable derivatives for chromatographic and mass spectrometric workflows, including derivatization strategies that target the amino and carboxyl functionalities. The racemic nature provides a defined baseline for assessing enantiomeric composition when comparing processed samples, synthetic intermediates, or peptide hydrolysates. Downstream use includes calibration and method validation for monitoring amino acid incorporation, protecting-group stability, and impurity formation during peptide coupling and deprotection sequences.

Abbr
DL-Cyclopentylglycine

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