Combinatorial Chemistry Review

Polyamide Resins

Sheppard designed polyacrylamide polymers for peptide synthesis as it was expected that these polymers would more closely mimic the properties of the peptide chains themselves and have greatly improved solvation properties in polar, aprotic solvents (e.g. DMF, or N-methyl pyrrolidinone).

backbone monomer, cross-linked

Sheppard also proposed the use of a new protection and linking strategy. The Merrifield approach depended on a benzyl ester linkage and Boc protection. But a more mild protection/deprotection were sought. The protecting group finally chosen was the fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) which can be removed by base (usually piperidine).

Polyamide Resins