Improved efficiency and selectivity in peptide synthesis: Use of triethylsilane as a carbocation scavenger in deprotection of t-butyl esters and t-butoxycarbonyl-protected sites

The use of triethylsilane as a carbocation scavenger in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane leads to increased yields, decreased reaction times, simple work-up and improved selectivity for the deprotection of t-butyl ester and t-butoxycarbonyl sites in protected amino-acids and peptides in the presence of other acid-sensitive protecting groups such as the benzyloxycarbonyl, 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, O- and S-benzyl and t-butylthio groups.