Synthesis and circular dichroism spectroscopic investigations of oligomeric beta-peptoids with alpha-chiral side chains.

Biomimetic oligomers are of large interest both as targets for combinatorial and parallel synthetic efforts and as foldamers. For example, shorter peptoid derivatives of beta-peptides, i.e., oligo-N-substituted beta-Ala, have been described as potential lead structures. Herein, we describe a solid-phase synthetic route to beta-peptoids with alpha-chiral aromatic N-substituents up to 11 residues long. Furthermore, the folding propensities of these oligomers were investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy.