Enantioselective synthesis of stimulus-responsive amino acid via asymmetric α-amination of aldehyde

Development of a methodology to control the function of peptides and proteins is an indispensable task in the field of chemical biology and drug delivery. Recently, we reported synthesis of racemic stimulus-responsive amino acids and their application for controlling peptidyl function. In this study, we report enantioselective synthesis of a key intermediate of stimulus-responsive amino acids via asymmetric α-amination reaction of an aldehyde. The obtained chiral intermediate was converted to an Fmoc protected UV-responsive amino acid with (S)-configuration, and it was successfully incorporated into a model peptide by Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis.