Synthesis of n-substituted oligomers

Abstract

A solid-phase method for the synthesis of N-substituted oligomers, such as poly (N-substituted glycines) (referred to herein as poly NSGs) is used to obtain oligomers, such as poly NSGs of potential therapeutic interest which poly NSGs can have a wide variety of side-chain substituents. Each N-substituted glycine monomer is assembled from two 'sub-monomers' directly on the solid support. Each cycle of monomer addition consists of two steps: (1) acylation of a secondary amine bound to the support with an acylating agent comprising a leaving group capable of nucleophilic displacement by --NH.sub.2, such as a haloacetic acid, and (2) introduction of the side-chain by nucleophilic displacement of the leaving group, such as halogen (as a resin-bound .alpha.-haloacetamide) with a sufficient amount of a second sub-monomer comprising an --NH.sub.2 group, such as a primary amine, alkoxyamine, semicarbazide, acyl hydrazide, carbazate or the like. Repetition of the two step cycle of acylation and displacement gives the desired oligomers. The efficient synthesis of a wide variety of oligomeric NSGs using automated synthesis technology of the present method makes these oligomers attractive candidates for the generation and rapid screening of diverse peptidomimetic libraries. The oligomers of the invention, such as N-substituted glycines (i.e. poly NSGs) disclosed here provide a new class of peptide-like compounds not found in nature, but which are synthetically accessible and have been shown to possess significant biological activity and proteolytic stability.