THAL, a sterically unhindered linker for the solid-phase synthesis of acid-sensitive protected peptide acids

The 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-ethylenedioxythienyl alcohol (THAL, Thiophene Acid Labile) is described as a new linker for the solid-phase synthesis of peptide carboxylic acids. It is based on the electron-rich 3,4-ethylenedioxythenyl (EDOTn) moiety and allows the obtention of free and tert-butyl-protected peptides by cleavage with 90% and 0.5% TFA, respectively.

This very high acid lability makes it useful for the synthesis of sensitive peptides. Free and tert-butyl-protected Leu-enkephalins have been synthesized as models to demonstrate the utility of the linker.