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Solid-phase synthesis
Solid-phase synthesis
Solid-phase synthesis
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In chemistry, solid-phase synthesis is a method in which molecules are covalently bound on a solid support material and synthesised step-by-step in a single reaction vessel utilising selective protecting group chemistry. Benefits compared with normal synthesis in a liquid state include:

  • High efficiency and throughput
  • Increased simplicity and speed

The reaction can be driven to completion and high yields through the use of excess reagent. In this method, building blocks are protected at all reactive functional groups. The order of functional group reactions can be controlled by the order of deprotection. This method is used for the synthesis of peptides,[1][2] deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and other molecules that need to be synthesised in a certain alignment.[3] More recently, this method has also been used in combinatorial chemistry and other synthetic applications. The process was originally developed in the 1950s and 1960s by Robert Bruce Merrifield in order to synthesise peptide chains,[4] and which was the basis for his 1984 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.[5]

In the basic method of solid-phase synthesis, building blocks that have two functional groups are used. One of the functional groups of the building block is usually protected by a protective group. The starting material is a bead which binds to the building block. At first, this bead is added into the solution of the protected building block and stirred. After the reaction between the bead and the protected building block is completed, the solution is removed and the bead is washed. Then the protecting group is removed and the above steps are repeated. After all steps are finished, the synthesised compound is chemically cleaved from the bead.

If a compound containing more than two kinds of building blocks is synthesised, a step is added before the deprotection of the building block bound to the bead; a functional group which is on the bead and did not react with an added building block has to be protected by another protecting group which is not removed at the deprotective condition of the building block. Byproducts which lack the building block of this step only are prevented by this step. In addition, this step makes it easy to purify the synthesised compound after cleavage from the bead.

Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS)

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Solid-phase synthesis is a common technique for peptide synthesis. Usually, peptides are synthesised from the carbonyl group side (C-terminus) to amino group side (N-terminus) of the amino acid chain in the SPPS method, although peptides are biologically synthesised in the opposite direction in cells. In peptide synthesis, an amino-protected amino acid is bound to a solid phase material or resin (most commonly, low cross-linked polystyrene beads), forming a covalent bond between the carbonyl group and the resin, most often an amido or an ester bond.[6] Then the amino group is deprotected and reacted with the carbonyl group of the next N-protected amino acid. The solid phase now bears a dipeptide. This cycle is repeated to form the desired peptide chain. After all reactions are complete, the synthesised peptide is cleaved from the bead.

The protecting groups for the amino groups mostly used in the peptide synthesis are 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl group (Fmoc) and t-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc). A number of amino acids bear functional groups in the side chain which must be protected specifically from reacting with the incoming N-protected amino acids. In contrast to Boc and Fmoc groups, these have to be stable over the course of peptide synthesis although they are also removed during the final deprotection of peptides.

Solid-phase synthesis of DNA and RNA

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Main article: Oligonucleotide synthesis

Relatively short fragments of DNA, RNA, and modified oligonucleotides are also synthesised by the solid-phase method. Although oligonucleotides can be synthesised in a flask, they are almost always synthesised on solid phase using a DNA/RNA synthesizer. For a more comprehensive review, see oligonucleotide synthesis. The method of choice is generally phosphoramidite chemistry, developed in the 1980s.

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Solid-phase synthesis

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from Grokipedia
Solid-phase synthesis (SPS) is a revolutionary technique in organic and that enables the stepwise assembly of complex biomolecules and organic compounds by covalently attaching the growing molecular chain to an insoluble solid support, such as a bead, which facilitates the addition of reagents and the removal of excess materials or byproducts through simple filtration without intermediate purification steps. This method contrasts with traditional solution-phase synthesis by confining reactions to a single vessel, thereby streamlining the process and enabling for high-throughput production. The foundational concept of solid-phase synthesis was pioneered by Robert Bruce Merrifield in 1963, who developed it specifically for , demonstrating its feasibility through the automated assembly of a on a chloromethylated support. Merrifield's innovation addressed longstanding challenges in peptide chemistry, such as the labor-intensive purification required in classical methods, and earned him the in 1984 for transforming the field into a routine and scalable process. Over the decades, the technique has expanded beyond peptides to include , oligosaccharides, and diverse small molecules, with adaptations like fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) and tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) strategies enhancing its efficiency and versatility. Key advantages of SPS include its compatibility with for generating molecular libraries, reduced solvent usage in modern green variants, and the ability to produce custom sequences up to hundreds of units long, making it indispensable in , , and . Despite challenges like incomplete couplings or in longer chains, ongoing advancements in linker technologies and solid supports continue to broaden its applications.

History and Development

Invention and Early Work

Solid-phase synthesis was pioneered by Robert Bruce Merrifield in the late 1950s while working at the (now ). Motivated by the inefficiencies of classical solution-phase , which often required laborious purification after each coupling step and yielded low overall efficiency for even short sequences—as exemplified by his earlier 11-month effort to synthesize a pentapeptide at just 7% yield—Merrifield sought a method to streamline the process. Drawing inspiration from and the use of insoluble supports in ion-exchange , he conceptualized attaching the growing chain to a solid resin, enabling sequential additions with simple filtration and washing to remove excess reagents without isolating intermediates. This idea was first documented in his laboratory notebook on May 26, 1959. Merrifield's early experiments focused on selecting an appropriate solid support and developing attachment chemistry. He chose chloromethylated beads, cross-linked with 2% , as the insoluble matrix, functionalizing them with a benzyl linkage to anchor the C-terminal . Initial tests in 1959–1962 involved manual synthesis cycles of deprotection, , and washing, but progress was slow due to the nascent technique's demands. The breakthrough came with the successful assembly of the L-leucyl-L-alanyl-glycyl-L-valine (Leu-Ala-Gly-Val) using tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protection for the amino groups and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) for activation. This sequence was synthesized in 1962 and fully detailed in Merrifield's seminal publication the following year, marking the first demonstration of solid-phase . The crude product was purified via ion-exchange , confirming its identity and purity comparable to solution-phase methods. Despite the innovation, early solid-phase work faced significant challenges, including the insolubility of the resin-bound , which complicated monitoring reactions and led to initial low coupling yields for even short chains. Merrifield addressed these by optimizing reaction conditions and resin swelling in organic solvents, achieving stepwise yields of around 99% for the . The method's key advantage was the elimination of intermediate purifications, transforming peptide assembly from a time-intensive solution-based process into a more efficient, repetitive solid-supported strategy suitable for . This foundational approach laid the groundwork for broader adoption, though initial skepticism from established synthetic chemists persisted until larger peptides validated its reliability.

Key Milestones and Recognition

Following the initial invention of solid-phase synthesis, Robert Bruce Merrifield demonstrated its practical utility in 1963 by synthesizing a , which laid the groundwork for extending the method to longer chains and showcasing its scalability for peptides up to 20 in subsequent early applications. This breakthrough highlighted the technique's potential to streamline multi-step syntheses without isolating intermediates, marking a pivotal step in its evolution beyond manual procedures. In the and , advancements in emerged, with the development of instruments such as the Merrifield synthesizer in the late transitioning into more refined automated systems by the , enabling reproducible large-scale production. Concurrently, Robert C. Sheppard introduced the Fmoc in 1975, which facilitated milder deprotection conditions and broader compatibility in solid-phase workflows, significantly enhancing efficiency and yield. The role of such protecting groups was crucial in enabling these milestones by allowing selective reactions on the solid support without compromising the growing chain. A significant achievement came in 1969 when Merrifield and Bernd Gutte reported the of an enzymatically active form of A, a 124-amino-acid protein, validating the method's applicability to larger biomolecules. The impact of these innovations culminated in 1984 when Merrifield was awarded the for his development of solid-phase , recognizing its transformative role in chemical methodology and its applications in biomolecule assembly. In the 1980s, solid-phase synthesis expanded into parallel formats for generating combinatorial libraries, with Mario Geysen's multipin method enabling simultaneous synthesis of hundreds of peptides on arrayed supports to accelerate screening for . Similarly, A. Houghten's tea-bag approach, introduced in , allowed for the parallel production of diverse mixtures in permeable pouches, further scaling up library diversity for and .

Fundamental Principles

The Solid Support and Attachment

Solid-phase synthesis relies on an insoluble solid support that anchors the initial building block, enabling the sequential assembly of molecules while permitting facile isolation from solution-phase byproducts and excess through . The support must possess mechanical and to withstand repeated reaction cycles, including exposure to acids, bases, and organic solvents, without degrading or releasing the attached species prematurely. Ideal supports also exhibit sufficient swelling in the chosen solvent to allow of into the matrix, mimicking solution-phase kinetics while maintaining heterogeneity. Cross-linked polystyrene resins represent the most widely adopted class of supports, pioneered by the Merrifield resin, which comprises chloromethylated copoly(styrene-1% divinylbenzene) beads with particle sizes of 100–200 mesh (75–150 μm). These microporous beads swell extensively (up to 4 mL/g) in solvents such as dichloromethane, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, and trifluoroacetic acid, facilitating efficient mass transfer during synthesis. The chloromethyl functional groups on Merrifield resin enable covalent attachment of the initial molecule, such as carboxylic acids, through nucleophilic substitution to form a benzyl ester linkage, with typical loading capacities of 0.4–1.0 mmol/g for peptide applications. Alternative supports include polyacrylamide-based materials, valued for their hydrophilic character and superior swelling in polar or aqueous media compared to , which often performs poorly in such environments. Polyacrylamide resins, such as fiber-like variants, provide mechanical stability and functionalizable amino groups for attachment, making them suitable for syntheses requiring water-compatible conditions. PEG-based supports, either as grafted hybrids (e.g., PS-PEG resins) or fully soluble polymers, enhance solvent versatility by improving swelling in both polar and nonpolar media, with ether linkages ensuring chemical robustness. These supports typically feature lower substitution levels but offer loadings around 0.4 mmol/g and are particularly useful for applications demanding high purity or . Attachment to the solid support generally involves covalent bonding via specialized linkers that dictate cleavage conditions. For instance, the Wang resin incorporates a p-alkoxybenzyl alcohol linker on a backbone, allowing esterification of the initial using coupling agents like diisopropylcarbodiimide and , resulting in an acid-labile connection cleavable under mild conditions. This strategy balances stability during synthesis with selective release, with loadings of 0.3–1.0 mmol/g ensuring high yields. Factors influencing support selection encompass loading capacity, which scales synthetic throughput; swelling behavior, critical for reaction efficiency; and compatibility with downstream conditions, such as solvent polarity and pH, to minimize side reactions or aggregation.

General Procedure and Protecting Groups

Solid-phase synthesis follows a repetitive cycle that enables the controlled assembly of molecules on an insoluble support, typically through a series of attachment, deprotection, , washing, and cleavage steps. The process begins with the covalent attachment of the first unit to the solid support, which anchors the growing chain and facilitates subsequent manipulations. This is followed by selective deprotection of the reactive at the chain's terminus, exposing it for the next reaction while other sites remain protected. The subsequent step involves adding the next , often in excess, to form the desired linkage, after which excess reagents and byproducts are removed via thorough washing and filtration of the support. This cycle is iterated for each additional until the full sequence is constructed, culminating in a final cleavage step that releases the product from the support. A cornerstone of this methodology is the use of to prevent unwanted side reactions during the iterative process. These groups are strategically chosen to be , meaning they can be selectively removed under conditions that leave others intact; typically, a temporary protecting group shields the reactive end of the growing chain, while permanent groups protect side-chain functionalities until the end. For instance, the tert-butoxycarbonyl (t-Boc) group serves as an acid-sensitive temporary protectant for amino functions, removable under mild acidic conditions such as in , without affecting benzyl-based side-chain protections. In contrast, the fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group provides base-sensitive temporary protection, cleaved by in , and is compatible with acid-labile side-chain groups like tert-butyl ethers. This ensures high selectivity and yield in each cycle. The efficiency of solid-phase synthesis stems from the physical separation provided by the insoluble support, which allows the use of excess reagents to drive reactions to completion while enabling simple filtration to eliminate unreacted materials and impurities, obviating the need for intermediate purification. This approach dramatically simplifies operations compared to solution-phase methods, as washing steps with solvents like or effectively remove soluble byproducts, maintaining the purity of the bound chain. Quantitative monitoring of reaction progress is essential; the Kaiser test, a colorimetric assay based on the reaction, detects free primary amines after deprotection or incomplete , providing a sensitive indicator (down to 0.1% unreacted chains) to confirm step completion before proceeding.

Applications in Biomolecule Synthesis

Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS)

Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is a specialized application of solid-phase methods tailored for assembling peptides by sequentially protected to a growing chain anchored on an insoluble support. The process involves iterative cycles of deprotection of the N-terminal amino group, of the next , and washing to remove byproducts, culminating in cleavage from the and deprotection of side chains. This approach enables the efficient synthesis of peptides ranging from short sequences to those exceeding 50 residues, with high purity achievable through optimization of reagents and conditions. The Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl) strategy, introduced in the original SPPS protocol, relies on acid-labile protection for the α-amino group. Deprotection is typically performed using (TFA) in , which selectively removes the Boc group without affecting the resin linkage or most side-chain protections. Coupling of the incoming Boc-protected proceeds via dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) in the presence of (HOBt) to minimize and enhance efficiency. This strategy is particularly suitable for sequences containing acid-stable residues, as repeated TFA exposures can tolerate such motifs, though it requires neutralization steps to manage the cationic resin after deprotection. In contrast, the Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) strategy employs base-labile protection, offering milder conditions that facilitate automation and reduce side reactions. Deprotection occurs with in (DMF), cleaving the Fmoc group via β-elimination while leaving the growing chain intact on the . Activation and coupling utilize reagents such as O-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyluronium (HBTU) in the presence of (DIEA), promoting rapid and selective bond formation with minimal epimerization. The Fmoc approach has become the preferred method for routine SPPS due to its compatibility with orthogonal protecting groups and lower risk of cumulative damage from harsh acids during synthesis. Side-chain functional groups of require orthogonal protecting groups to prevent unwanted reactions during chain assembly, with removal achieved post-synthesis via global deprotection. For (Cys), the trityl (Trt) group shields the , stable under basic Fmoc deprotection but readily cleaved by TFA. For (Asp), the tert-butyl ester (OtBu) protects the β-carboxylic acid, averting aspartimide formation while allowing selective acidolysis at the end. These protections ensure specificity, as the Trt and OtBu groups are removed concurrently with resin cleavage using TFA cocktails containing scavengers like . Automation of SPPS has revolutionized peptide production through dedicated synthesizers that execute repetitive cycles of deprotection, , and washing with precise delivery and timing. Modern instruments, such as flow-through or batch reactors, handle scales from micromoles to grams, incorporating real-time monitoring for optimization. Under optimized conditions, these systems achieve stepwise yields exceeding 99%, enabling the reliable synthesis of peptides longer than 50 residues with overall purities often above 90% after HPLC purification.

Solid-Phase Nucleic Acid Synthesis

Solid-phase nucleic acid synthesis enables the automated assembly of DNA and RNA oligonucleotides on a solid support, primarily through the phosphoramidite method developed in the early 1980s. This approach involves sequential addition of protected monomers in the 3' to 5' direction, contrasting with the natural 5' to 3' . The process relies on orthogonal protection strategies to selectively unmask reactive sites during chain elongation. Each cycle consists of four key steps: acid-mediated detritylation to remove the 5'-dimethoxytrityl (DMT) group, coupling of the incoming 5'-DMT-protected 3'- activated by , capping of unreacted 5'-hydroxyl groups with to prevent truncated products, and oxidation of the phosphite triester to a stable phosphate triester using iodine. This cycle achieves stepwise elongation with high fidelity, typically exceeding 98% efficiency per nucleotide addition. The solid support most commonly used is controlled pore glass (CPG), a rigid, non-swellable material with uniform 500 Å pores that accommodate growing oligonucleotide chains without steric hindrance. The first 3'-nucleoside is covalently attached to the CPG via a succinyl linker, which forms a base-labile ester bond between the support's amino-functionalized surface and the nucleoside's 3'-hydroxyl. After synthesis, concentrated aqueous ammonia cleaves this ester linkage, releasing the oligonucleotide with a free 3'-hydroxyl while simultaneously removing exocyclic amine protecting groups (e.g., benzoyl on adenine and cytosine, isobutyryl on guanine). This linker design ensures clean detachment without damaging the phosphodiester backbone. For RNA synthesis, additional protection of the 2'-hydroxyl is essential to prevent nucleophilic attack and 2'-5' branch formation during coupling and deprotection. Common 2'-O-protecting groups include tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS), which shields the and minimizes risks under acidic conditions, and the more recently adopted 2-O-[(triisopropylsilyl)oxy]methyl (TOM) group, offering improved coupling kinetics and stability. Post-synthesis deprotection for involves initial ammonia treatment to remove base and linker protections, followed by fluoride-based deprotection, such as treatment with tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) or triethylamine trihydrofluoride (TEA·3HF) for TBDMS-protected RNA, while TOM groups are typically removed under basic conditions like ammonium hydroxide/methylamine (AMA) without RNA degradation. These modifications allow for the routine production of RNA up to 100 mers in length. This methodology supports synthesis scales from micrograms for research applications, such as probe design and PCR primers, to kilograms for therapeutic like antisense drugs. The high per-cycle efficiency (>98%) enables near-quantitative yields for sequences up to 50-100 , making it industrially viable for clinical production.

Broader Applications

Combinatorial Chemistry

Solid-phase synthesis has revolutionized by enabling the parallel generation of vast compound libraries for and applications. In this approach, multiple compounds are synthesized simultaneously on solid supports, allowing for the rapid exploration of chemical diversity. Two primary strategies dominate: the tea-bag method and split-pool synthesis. The tea-bag method, introduced by Houghten in 1985, involves enclosing individual portions of resin-bound peptides in porous bags, which are then subjected to sequential reactions in parallel. This technique facilitates the synthesis of hundreds to thousands of discrete peptides by distributing the bags across reaction vessels for selective , followed by pooling for washing and deprotection steps, thereby streamlining the production of positional scanning libraries for . Split-pool synthesis, pioneered by Furka et al. in 1991, extends this parallelism by dividing beads into aliquots for reaction with different building blocks, recombining them after each step, and repeating the process to exponentially increase library diversity. This method is particularly efficient for generating mixture-based libraries on a single batch of , though it requires encoding strategies for identification. A landmark application is the one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) library developed by Lam et al. in 1991, where each bead displays multiple copies of a unique synthesized via split-pool on beads, enabling the creation of libraries with millions of distinct sequences. Encoding in OBOC relies on the spatial isolation of compounds on individual beads, allowing direct on-bead screening against like antibodies or enzymes, with subsequent cleavage and sequencing of hits for structure elucidation. These techniques have been adapted for both and libraries, accelerating lead identification in . For , OBOC and tea-bag methods have produced libraries exceeding 10^6 members, such as hexapeptide collections screened for activity. In synthesis, solid-phase strategies enable the construction of heterocyclic libraries from resin-bound polyamides, yielding mixture-based collections of thousands of imidazolines, benzodiazepines, and diketopiperazines for high-affinity receptor binding. Peptoid libraries, synthesized via submonomer solid-phase methods, exemplify this expansion; for instance, a 153,600-member library of combinatorial peptoid– conjugates has been generated for metal and imaging applications. Heterocyclic examples include bis-heterocycle libraries with variable spacers, comprising up to 92 compounds screened for antiproliferative effects. Integration with (HTS) enhances the utility of these libraries, where on-bead assays identify active compounds before selective cleavage and resynthesis for bioactivity confirmation. Post-cleavage testing in solution-phase HTS formats allows evaluation of library members for potency against targets like G-protein-coupled receptors, with hits from OBOC libraries often exhibiting nanomolar affinities after optimization. This workflow has facilitated the discovery of novel leads, such as peptoid inhibitors from libraries of 10^5 variants, underscoring the scalability and impact of solid-phase combinatorial approaches.

Small Molecule and Heterocycle Synthesis

Solid-phase synthesis has been extended beyond biomacromolecules to the preparation of small organic molecules and heterocycles, enabling efficient construction of complex carbon-based frameworks through sequential reactions on insoluble supports. This approach leverages the same principles of attachment, reaction, and detachment but adapts them to diverse organic transformations, facilitating the synthesis of drug-like compounds with high purity and yield. Key innovations include specialized linkers that withstand varied reaction conditions while allowing selective release of products. Safety-catch linkers, which remain stable during synthesis but require activation for cleavage, are particularly valuable for small molecule assembly, accommodating a range of functional group manipulations without premature detachment. For instance, the trityl linker enables selective cleavage under mild acidic conditions, supporting diverse reactions such as nucleophilic substitutions or cyclizations in heterocycle formation. Similarly, the SCAL (safety-catch acid-labile) linker and alkanesulfonamide variants provide to common reagents, enhancing versatility in multi-step sequences for non-peptidic scaffolds. Representative examples illustrate the power of solid-phase methods in this domain. The Ugi four-component reaction has been adapted to solid supports for generating peptidomimetic scaffolds, where resin-bound amines, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and isocyanides condense to form α-aminoacyl amides in high yields, followed by resin cleavage to afford diverse libraries of bioactive mimics. In heterocycle synthesis, benzodiazepines are constructed via on-resin cyclization of resin-tethered anthranilic acid derivatives with amino acids or amines, yielding 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones through amide bond formation and intramolecular closure, often in 50-80% overall yields with purities exceeding 90%. These techniques excel in diversity-oriented synthesis, where iterative cycles of attachment, reaction, and modification build heterocyclic scaffolds like pyrroles and indoles from simple precursors. For pyrroles, solid-phase multicomponent reactions involving resin-bound β-ketoamides and amines enable stepwise elaboration, producing substituted pyrroles through imine formation and cyclodehydration in a convergent manner. synthesis benefits from traceless Fischer indole reactions on solid phase, where polymer-bound phenylhydrazines react with aldehydes under acidic conditions to form 2,3-disubstituted indoles, allowing multiple iterations for scaffold diversification without support contamination. Such cycles, often 3-5 steps, streamline the generation of structurally complex heterocycles for medicinal screening. Cleavage strategies for these syntheses prioritize mild conditions to preserve sensitive functionalities in complex molecules. Photolabile linkers, such as o-nitrobenzyl derivatives, enable precise release upon UV irradiation (typically 350 nm), orthogonal to thermal or chemical steps and yielding products in solution without byproducts, ideal for heterocycles prone to acid degradation. cycles, akin to those in synthesis, ensure site-specific reactivity during these iterations.

Advantages and Limitations

Key Benefits

One of the primary advantages of solid-phase synthesis is the ease of purification, as the growing molecule remains bound to an insoluble solid support, allowing excess reagents, byproducts, and solvents to be removed simply by or without isolating intermediates. This approach eliminates the need for time-consuming extraction or at each step, significantly streamlining the overall process compared to solution-phase methods. Solid-phase synthesis offers excellent scalability, enabling production from milligram quantities for purposes to multi-kilogram scales for industrial applications, such as , by adjusting the amount of solid support and reactor size. further enhances this scalability, permitting continuous, 24/7 operation with minimal human intervention, which accelerates throughput and reduces labor costs. The method achieves high yields by allowing the use of excess monomers and , which drive reactions toward completion and shift equilibria favorably, with typical step-wise coupling efficiencies exceeding 99% in optimized protocols. This results in overall yields that are often superior to traditional syntheses, particularly for longer chains, due to minimized losses during handling. Its versatility supports diverse applications, including for high-throughput parallel synthesis and adaptation to various types, which has revolutionized fields like by enabling rapid generation of compound libraries.

Challenges and Recent Advances

One major limitation of solid-phase synthesis (SPS) arises from heterogeneity, which can result in uneven distribution of reactive sites and incomplete reactions, particularly during steps for longer sequences. This heterogeneity often stems from limitations within the beads, leading to reduced yields as the growing chain becomes less accessible in the interior. For large molecules, such as peptides exceeding 50 , cleavage from the poses significant difficulties due to steric hindrance and the need for harsh conditions that may degrade the product or cause incomplete detachment. Prolonged exposure of the resin-bound intermediate to reagents can also induce side reactions, including aspartimide formation, , or oxidation of sensitive residues like and , which compromise purity and require additional purification steps. In , on-resin aggregation frequently occurs through β-sheet formation, especially in hydrophobic sequences, halting chain elongation by desolvating the and impeding reagent access. To mitigate this, incorporation of pseudoproline dipeptides—temporary modifications of serine, , or —disrupts hydrogen bonding and prevents aggregation, enabling synthesis of otherwise intractable sequences with improved yields. Recent advances have addressed these challenges through innovative techniques. Microwave-assisted coupling has accelerated reaction rates by up to 10-fold while minimizing side reactions, allowing scalable production of peptides like those for pharmaceutical intermediates with purities exceeding 90%. The adoption of green solvents, such as dipropyleneglycol dimethylether (a PEG-based alternative to DMF), has reduced environmental impact by lowering toxicity and volatility without compromising swelling or coupling efficiency in Fmoc-SPPS. For synthesis, enzymatic aids have enabled de novo production by using template-independent polymerases with chemically modified , offering higher fidelity and scalability compared to traditional methods, particularly for sequences up to 100 mers. In therapeutic applications, continuous flow SPS variants have facilitated scale-up for antisense , reducing coupling times by up to 22-fold with automated systems and lower waste. These developments, including AI-driven optimization of reaction cycles to attain coupling yields above 99.5% in select automated systems, continue to enhance SPS efficiency for complex biomolecules.

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