Synthesis of Biological Materials Flashcards
What is a monosaccharide?
A single sugar unit e.g. glucose
What is a disaccharide?
Two sugar units linked together
What is an oligosaccharide?
More than two sugar units
What is a carbohydrate?
Anything from monosaccharide to oligosaccharide
What is a glycoside?
Any carbohydrate molecule with an anomeric substituent other than OH
What is a glycoconjugate?
The general term for a carbohydrate covalently linked to another biomolecule e.g. a protein, peptide or lipid
Why do we need to activate different amino acids when synthesising peptides?
OH- is a poor leaving group
COOH is a poor electrophile
How does racemisation occur?
It occurs via the formation of an oxazolone intermediate, which can undergo keto-enol tautomerisation to create a non-chiral intermediate
How can we minimise racemisation?
We can use a coupling reagent instead of activating the C-terminus.
This reduces the leaving group ability, and allows a one-pot reaction without the isolation of the activated species
Complete peptide synthesis in the C- to N- terminal direction
How can we install a Boc protecting group?
Boc₂O + base
How can we remove a Boc protecting group?
TFA
How can we install an Fmoc protecting group?
Fmoc-Cl + base
How can we install a methyl ester protecting group?
MeOH + HCl
How can we remove an Fmoc protecting group?
Piperidine
How can we remove a methyl ester protecting group?
NaOH, H₂O
How can we install a benzyl ester (Bz) protecting group?
Phenylmethanol + acid
How can we remove a benzyl ester (Bz) protecting group?
H₂, Pd/C
How can we install an allyl ester protecting group?
Prop-2-en-1-ol + Acid
How can we remove an allyl ester protecting group?
Pd(PPh₃)₄
How do we install a tert-butyl ester protecting group?
Tert-butyl alcohol and acid
How do we remove a tert-butyl ester protecting group?
TFA
How do we install a tert-butyl ether protecting group?
Tert-butyl alcohol and acid
How do we remove a tert-butyl ether protecting group?
Concentrated TFA or HCl