DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is a substituted amino acid derivative related to dihydroxyphenylalanine, bearing a catechol-like aromatic ring and an aliphatic amino acid framework with a methyl substituent, supplied as a sesquihydrate. The molecule contains an amino group and a carboxyl group along with phenolic hydroxyl functionalities, and the "DL" designation indicates a racemic mixture at the stereogenic center(s) associated with the amino acid moiety while the sesquihydrate form reflects stoichiometric water association. It is used as a defined starting material for preparing amino acid derivatives and for peptide or conjugate synthesis workflows where a methylated, hydroxyl-bearing amino acid scaffold and a known hydration state are required for chemical labeling, structure-activity studies, or analytical method development.
CAT No: CP19001
CAS No:55-40-3
Synonyms/Alias:DL-Methyldopa;3-Hydroxy-alpha-methyl-DL-tyrosine;(+)-|A-methyldopa;DL-alpha-MethylDOPA;Metholes;Mulfasin;3-Hydroxy-alpha-methyltyrosine;.alpha.-Methyldopa;55-40-3;L-.alpha.-Methyldopa;L-(.alpha.-Md);racemicalpha-Methyldopa;.alpha.-Methyl-L-dopa;(+-)-alpha-Methyldopa;.alpha.-Methyldopa,L-;L-Tyrosine,3-hydroxy-.alpha.-methyl-;2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylpropanoicacid;L-Methyldopa;555-29-3;(S)-(-)-.alpha.-Methyldopa;CJCSPKMFHVPWAR-UHFFFAOYSA-N;(-)-Methyldopa;EINECS209-088-7;ST013867;3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylalanine
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is a racemic amino acid derivative related to methyldopa, presented as a sesquihydrate that contains both the amino acid backbone and an additional hydroxyl-bearing side-chain motif. The molecule features a chiral center within the methyldopa framework, but the DL designation indicates a 1:1 mixture of stereoisomers, which can influence stereoselective peptide coupling outcomes and downstream separation requirements. The presence of multiple oxygen-containing functional groups supports hydrogen-bonding interactions and enables conversion to protected amino acid derivatives, including N-protected and carboxyl-activated forms for amide bond formation. Hydration state can affect handling and crystallization behavior, making the compound relevant as a chiral synthesis starting material and as an amino acid-based intermediate for controlled functional group transformations in peptide and process chemistry.
1. Peptide Synthesis
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is applied in peptide building workflows where a methyldopa-like residue is needed to probe backbone-side-chain recognition and to construct amino acid sequences for biochemical research. The amino group and carboxyl functionality can be converted into N-protected, C-terminal activated derivatives that participate in standard peptide coupling chemistries, while the side-chain hydroxyl pattern supports protected-group strategies to prevent undesired esterification or oxidation. Racemic composition enables preparation of mixed stereochemical peptide analogs used in structure-activity relationship studies and in method development for stereochemical control during solid-phase or solution-phase assembly. Downstream peptide products can be further functionalized at the side-chain oxygen atoms to generate analog libraries for amino acid derivatization and peptide science investigations.
2. Amino Acid Derivatization
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is utilized as an amino acid derivatization feedstock for producing protected amino acid intermediates, chiral synthetic intermediates, and functionalized side-chain derivatives. The hydroxyl-bearing side chain and amino acid backbone enable selective protection and deprotection logic, such as orthogonal N-protection relative to side-chain oxygen protection, to direct chemoselective transformations. The carboxyl group can be activated or esterified to support downstream coupling, while stereochemical mixture may be leveraged for screening routes that later incorporate resolution or stereoselective steps. Resulting derivatives can serve as intermediates for peptidomimetic construction, biochemical probe synthesis, and fine chemical manufacturing where controlled functional group interconversion is required.
3. Chiral Resolution Studies
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is suitable for chiral synthesis and stereochemical method development because it provides a racemic DL starting point with a defined amino acid framework. The presence of a stereogenic center allows evaluation of chiral resolution strategies that may involve salt formation, diastereomeric derivatization, or chromatographic separation of stereoisomers after conversion to N-protected or carboxyl-activated forms. Sesquihydrate handling can influence crystallization and solid-state behavior, which is relevant when screening conditions for isolating individual enantiomers for downstream stereochemically defined peptide building blocks. Separated stereoisomers can then be employed in stereocontrolled amino acid incorporation, enabling more informative structure-stereochemistry correlations in synthetic and analytical workflows.
4. Bioconjugation Chemistry
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is applied in chemical biology contexts where amino acid-derived handles are required for conjugation to biomolecules or surfaces. The amino acid functionality can be transformed into reactive intermediates, including N-protected derivatives that can later be deprotected to generate nucleophilic sites for coupling, while the hydroxyl-bearing side chain can be protected to maintain stability during bioconjugation steps. Racemic material can be used to generate stereochemically mixed conjugates for assessing labeling chemistry, linker stability, and structure-dependent binding of conjugated constructs. Downstream conjugates can serve as tools for biomolecule labeling, molecular recognition studies, and preparation of analytical standards for amino acid and peptide-related assays.
5. Pharmaceutical Intermediate Preparation
DL-Methyldopa sesquihydrate is relevant to pharmaceutical intermediate preparation and process chemistry where an amino acid derivative scaffold is required for manufacturing-oriented synthetic sequences. The compound's functional group set supports conversion into protected amino acid derivatives and activated carboxyl intermediates that can be routed into amide-forming steps or further oxidation/reduction chemistry at oxygen-bearing sites under controlled protection regimes. The DL stereochemical nature can be managed through route design, including optional resolution steps or downstream stereoselective transformations, depending on the target intermediate's stereochemical requirements. Industrially, the sesquihydrate form can be leveraged as a defined starting material for consistent solid handling and for downstream crystallization control in fine chemical synthesis and specialty chemical production.
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