DL-HomoPhenylalanine is a non-natural amino acid in the phenylalanine family featuring an extended methylene spacer in the side chain (homo-substituted benzyl group) and a primary amino group and carboxyl group characteristic of amino acids. The molecule is provided as a DL mixture, bearing a stereogenic center at the alpha carbon with a side chain that is predominantly hydrophobic and aromatic, enabling π-π and van der Waals interactions in peptide contexts. In peptide and amino acid derivative synthesis, it is used as a building block to introduce the longer hydrophobic/aromatic side chain for structure-activity studies, conformational probing, and preparation of modified peptides or labeled analogues where altered spacing relative to phenylalanine is required.
CAT No: CP17401
CAS No:1012-05-1
Synonyms/Alias:DL-Homophenylalanine;2-Amino-4-phenylbutanoicacid;1012-05-1;2-Amino-4-phenylbutyricacid;(-)-2-Amino-4-phenylbutyricacid;7636-28-4;Homophenylalanine;CHEMBL203873;JTTHKOPSMAVJFE-UHFFFAOYSA-N;rac-2-amino-4-phenylbutanoicacid;(+/-)-2-Amino-4-phenylbutyricacid;Benzylalanine;DL-HOMOPHE-OH;ACMC-209tws;H-DL-HOMOPHE-OH;AC1L2SZU;H-DL-HPH-OH;KSC492S1B;SCHEMBL130567;2-amino-4-phenyl-butanoicacid;2-amino-4-phenyl-butyricacid;294357_ALDRICH;AC1Q50B0;AC1Q5S74;2-azanyl-4-phenyl-butanoicacid
DL-HomoPhenylalanine contains a chiral amino acid framework with an extended methylene spacer between the stereogenic center and the phenyl side chain, providing a length-tuned hydrophobic/aromatic handle for peptide and peptidomimetic design. The molecule bears an amino group and a carboxylic acid functionality (typically handled as the free amino acid or converted into protected derivatives), enabling standard coupling chemistries and downstream functional group interconversions. The DL designation indicates a racemic mixture at the stereocenter, which is relevant for stereochemical control in synthesis planning, especially when homochiral incorporation is required. The phenyl side chain can participate in aromatic derivatization and can serve as a scaffold for constructing substituted aromatic motifs or for tuning conformational preferences in larger peptide assemblies.
1. Peptide Synthesis
DL-HomoPhenylalanine supports peptide building block preparation in research and manufacturing settings where a longer hydrophobic side chain is required for backbone mimicry and structure modulation. The amino acid backbone provides the amine and carboxyl groups needed for peptide coupling after conversion to an activated acid form or after installing temporary N- and/or C-terminal protection strategies. The extended side-chain length relative to phenylalanine can influence spacing in peptide sequences, enabling systematic exploration of how aromatic positioning affects folding, receptor binding motifs, or protease recognition patterns. Racemic availability can be used for initial library synthesis or for generating mixture-based standards, while downstream resolution or asymmetric incorporation may be applied when stereodefined analogs are targeted. The resulting derivatives can feed directly into protected amino acid chemistry and solid-phase or solution-phase peptide construction workflows.
2. Peptidomimetics And SAR Studies
DL-HomoPhenylalanine serves as a chiral amino acid precursor for peptidomimetic construction where aromatic side-chain spacing and hydrophobic character are tuned to probe structure-activity relationships. The phenyl group and the extra methylene unit can be leveraged to generate analog series that systematically vary steric reach and aromatic contact geometry, while the amino acid core enables conversion into amide, urea, or other backbone-linked functionalities. Protecting-group strategies that mask the amine and manage the carboxyl group are compatible with iterative derivatization, allowing substitution on the aromatic ring or transformation into constrained scaffolds used in medicinal chemistry research. Racemic starting material can be employed to access broader chemical space for SAR screening, with stereochemical refinement performed later through chiral separation or asymmetric synthesis of enantiopure homologs. The compound thus functions as an amino acid-based intermediate for generating structure-defined analogs and for supporting SAR-driven design cycles.
3. Chemical Biology Labeling
DL-HomoPhenylalanine can be incorporated into chemically modified peptides and protein fragments used in chemical biology workflows that require hydrophobic/aromatic anchoring for recognition and localization. The amino acid functionality enables installation of side-chain or backbone-reactive handles through derivatization of the carboxyl group (for amide formation) and the amino group (for N-protection and subsequent functionalization). Aromatic side-chain presence can be exploited in conjugation schemes that rely on hydrophobic interactions or in constructing labeled probes where phenyl-containing residues act as structural elements within a biomolecule. Racemic mixtures may be suitable for early-stage probe development where stereochemical specificity is not yet the limiting factor, while enantiopure derivatives can be pursued for assays sensitive to stereochemistry. Downstream products from this amino acid can be used to generate bioconjugation-ready fragments for molecular recognition studies and analytical reagent preparation.
4. Chiral Building Block Development
DL-HomoPhenylalanine is suitable as a chiral synthetic intermediate precursor for manufacturing routes that require controlled access to homochiral homo-phenylalanine derivatives. The stereogenic center enables downstream conversion into enantiopure building blocks through resolution strategies or by employing asymmetric synthesis to obtain a single configuration for stereodefined peptide incorporation. The amino acid's functional groups support formation of protected N-derivatives and activated C-terminus intermediates, which can be carried through peptide coupling steps once the desired stereochemistry is established. The extended side-chain phenyl motif provides a consistent structural element across enantiomeric series, facilitating comparative studies of stereochemical effects on conformational behavior and binding-site complementarity. This role aligns with chiral amino acid intermediate preparation for fine chemical synthesis and peptide manufacturing where stereochemical fidelity is required.
5. Pharmaceutical Intermediate Preparation
DL-HomoPhenylalanine can function as a process-relevant amino acid intermediate for producing protected homo-phenylalanine derivatives used in the synthesis of peptide-like drug candidates and related chemistry programs. The presence of both amine and carboxyl groups supports conversion into N-protected forms and activated carboxylic acid derivatives that participate in controlled peptide bond formation under standard coupling conditions. The phenyl side chain and the additional methylene unit can be used to generate analogs with altered hydrophobicity and steric profile, which is commonly leveraged in medicinal chemistry optimization and scaffold diversification. Racemic feedstock can be used for intermediate supply in early process development, with stereochemical adjustment performed through chiral separation or downstream asymmetric steps when enantiopure material is required. The compound therefore integrates into pharmaceutical intermediate preparation pipelines that emphasize functional group compatibility, scalable protection/deprotection logic, and downstream coupling readiness.
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