1. Othman Al Musaimi
Peptide Science Laboratory
School of Health Sciences / School of Chemistry
UKZN
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GREEN ETHER FOR PEPTIDE
PRECIPITATION AFTER GLOBAL
DEPROTECTION
3. Introduction
Diethyl ether (DEE) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), common
ethers of precipitation of peptide after last step of SPPS (global
deprotection).
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4. 4
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DEE
*Classified as a
highly hazardous
chemical.
Low flash point -
45⁰C
Low boiling point
35⁰C
low temperature of
auto ignition and it
is very prone to
form peroxides.
MTBE
*Classified as a highly
hazardous chemical.
#Carcinogenic, due
carcinogenicity of its
two metabolites
(formaldehyde and
tertiary butanol).
Low flash point -28⁰C
Low boiling point 55⁰C
Unstable under acidic
condition (tert
butylate the final
peptide product).$
Cyclopentyl methyl
ether (CPME)
Favourable
environmental, health
and safety (EHS)
characteristics:
High flash point -1⁰C
High boiling point 106⁰C
Excellent stability
under acidic conditions
Low tendency to form
peroxides
* Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
# World health organization (WHO).
$ B.G. de La Torre, D. Andreu, On choosing the right ether for peptide precipitation after acid cleavage, J Pept Sci, 14
(2008) 360-3,10.1002/psc.956.
6. 6 6
PEPTIDES AND RESINS USED
POLYSTYRENE (PS)-BASED RESIN OR A POLYETHYLENGLYCOL (PEG)-BASED RESIN (CHEMMATRIX, CM).
7. Procedure
1. Each peptide resin was divided into two portions.
2. Cleavage mixture TFA/TIS/H2O (95:2.5:2.5) for 1.0 h.
3. Cold DEE / CPME was then added to precipitate the peptide.
4. Mixtures were kept on ice for 30 min.
5. Centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 5 min, and the supernatant was
decanted.
6. New ethers added, centrifugation as per step 5.
7. Any remaining ether was dried under N2.
8. Precipitate was dissolved in water.
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8. Procedure
9. Some samples were filtered and injected into HPLC and LCMS
systems.
10. Lyophilization, to calculate the amount of the peptide recovered
from the resin
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9. Results
Leu-enkephalin was not precipitated by CPME! possibly because
of the high solubility of this short pentapeptide in the
hydrophobic solvent CPME.
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