9-Silafluorenyl Dichlorides as Chemically Ligating Coupling Agents and Their Application in Peptide Synthesis

A fundamentally simple, mild, and practical procedure for peptide bond formation is reported that employs a stoichiometric amount of easy-to-access 9-silafluorenyl dichlorides as the coupling agent. Without initial preactivation or elaboration of the carboxylic acid or amine termini of the amino acids, the developed reagent is proposed to act through an unprecedented chemical ligation mechanism, bringing the two coupling partners together before being subsequently eliminated. The desired amides or peptide bonds are thus furnished in good yields and with low to no epimerization.