Solid-phase peptide synthesis using Nα-trityl-amino acids

The preparation of N-alpha-trityl-amino acids is described. Several derivatives of trifunctional amino acids carrying acid- and base-labile side-chain protecting groups and the trityl group at the N-alpha position are prepared for first time. The incorporation of N-alpha-trityl-amino acids into peptide sequences using solid-phase protocols was achieved. The use of the trityl group for the protection of the alpha-amino group in conjunction with base-labile side-chain protecting groups constitutes a new method for the assembly of peptides in mild conditions.