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Updated: May 15, 2026

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection
Published on: February 18, 2014
Geometric changes around an N atom due to a urethane-type bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl) substituent
Dominika Wojewska1, Alicja Kluczyk, Katarzyna Ślepokura
1Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 14 Joliot-Curie Street, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland.
Abstract:
Two crystal structures of urethane-protected derivatives of aspartic acid dimethyl ester are presented, namely dimethyl (2S)-2-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]butanedioate, C(11)H(19)NO(6), and dimethyl (2S)-2-{bis[(tert-butoxycarbonyl]amino}butanedioate, C(16)H(27)NO(8). The geometry at the N atom is discussed and compared with similar structures. The analysis of singly and doubly N-substituted derivatives reveals an elongation of all bonds involving the N atom and conformational changes of the amino acid side chain due to steric interactions with two bulky substituents on the amino group.
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