Enhanced site-selectivity in acylation reactions with substrate-optimized catalysts on solid supports.

A concept for site selective acylation of poly-hydroxylated substrates is presented where polymer-supported catalysts are employed: catalytically active DMAP units were combined with a library of small molecule peptides attached to the solid phase with the goal to identify substrate-optimized catalysts through library screening. For selected examples, we demonstrate how the optimized catalysts can convert "their" substrate with a markedly enhanced site-selectivity, compared to only DMAP. Due to the solid support, product purification is significantly simplified, and the peptidic catalysts can be easily reused in multiple cycles while conserving its efficiency.