Strained-cyclophane-induced beta-turn template: design, synthesis, and spectroscopic characterization.

[structure: see text] Three tetrapeptides incorporating a 14-membered (R(i+1), S(i+2)) cycloisodityrosine at the i + 1 and i + 2 positions were designed and synthesized. Conformational analysis by (1)H NMR and CD spectra as well as molecular modeling indicated that they all adopt a beta-turn conformation. While the CD spectrum of compound 2 is characteristic of the typical type-II beta-turn (maximum at approximately 200 nm and a minimum at approximately 220 nm), that of 1a (atropisomer of 2) is opposite in sign to the expected spectrum of the type-II beta-turn.