The efficient preparation of di- and tripeptides by coupling N-(Cbz- or Fmoc-α-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles with unprotected amino acids

N-(Cbz- or Fmoc-alpha-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles 2 and N-protected peptidoylbenzotriazoles 6 are coupled in aqueous acetonitrile solution with free amino acids or dipeptides to prepare: (i) 22 chirally pure dipeptides 5a-v (in an average yield of 82%) from N-(Cbz- or Fmoc-alpha-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles 2 and unprotected amino acids, (ii) five chiral tripeptides 7a-e (in an average yield of 75%) from N-protected peptidoylbenzotriazoles 6 and unprotected amino acids, (iii) one chiral tripeptide 7g (62%) from N-(Cbz- or Fmoc-a-aminoacyl)benzotriazole 2a and the free dipeptide 8. In all, N-(Cbz- or Fmoc-alpha-aminoacyl)benzotriazole derivatives of 17 of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids were used, including those containing the following unprotected side chain functionalities: alcoholic -OH (Ser), indole -NH (Trp), imidazole -NH, phenolic -OH (Tyr), -CONH2 (Gln, Asn), -SH (CYS), -CO2H (Glu, Asp), and -S-S (Cystine). Support for the complete retention of chirality was obtained by parallel experiments involving D-Ala, L-Ala, and DL-Ala for the preparation of di- and tripeptides. This and other evidence for chiral integrity was supported by NMR and HPLC analyses.