Preparation of Amido-amidate Metallacycles for Polypeptide Synthesis

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With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program, Professor Timothy J. Deming, of the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is studying the synthesis of amido-amidate metallacycles and their use for the catalytic preparation of polypeptides. Through analysis of the reactivity of low-valent metal complexes with amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) derivatives, the generality of NCA reactivity with transition metals will be illustrated and new candidates for NCA polymerization initiators will be developed. Alternate synthetic routes to amido-amidate metallacycles, the active propagating species in NCA polymerization, will provide more efficient initiators and allow versatility in the end-functionalization of polypeptides. By working with amido-amidate metallacycles with new, well-defined coordination geometries, stereocontrolled NCA polymerization will be explored.Polypeptides represent one of the major classes of macromolecules utilized by living organisms. These large molecules, comprised of many amino acids linked together, display a wide range of important physical and chemical properties. New approaches to the preparation of polypeptides offer promise for the efficient synthesis of molecules anticipated to display new and/or unusual properties, including the selective transport of ions. Professor Timothy J. Deming, of the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is supported by the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program for his studies of new catalytic techniques for polypeptide synthesis, offering promise for the selective and efficient synthesis of complex polypeptides with unique molecular architectures.