Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Michael Giuliano

Samuel Helmer Gellman

Li Guo

The invention provides compounds and methods, for example, to carry out organocatalytic Michael additions of aldehydes to cyclically constrained nitroethylene compounds catalyzed by a proline derivative to provide cyclically constrained &#x3b1;-substituted-&#x3b3;-nitro-aldehydes. The reaction can be rendered enantioselective when a chiral pyrrolidine catalyst is used, allowing for Michael adducts in nearly optically pure form (e.g., 96 to &#x3e;99% e.e.). The Michael adducts can bear a single substituent or dual substituents adjacent to the carbonyl. The Michael adducts can be efficiently converted to cyclically constrained protected &#x3b3;-amino acid residues, which are essential for systematic conformational studies of &#x3b3;-peptide foldamers. New methods are also provided to prepare other &#x3b3;-amino acids and peptides. These new building blocks can be used to prepare foldamers, such as &#x3b1;/&#x3b3;-peptide foldamers, that adopt specific helical conformations in solution and in the solid state.

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Derby, CT, United States of America

Michael Giuliano