L-Penicillamine

L-Penicillamine is the L-configured form of beta,beta-dimethylcysteine, containing amino, carboxyl and thiol groups in a single chiral molecule. It serves as a non-proteinogenic amino-acid building block for peptides and as a sulfur-containing ligand in metal-binding chemistry. The two methyl groups adjacent to sulfur create a more sterically crowded thiol environment than that of cysteine.

This product is the L enantiomer, not the D form used in established penicillamine medicines and not a racemic mixture. Its amino and acid groups support peptide-bond formation, while the thiol provides a separate site for oxidation, conjugation or coordination. The combination is useful when peptide conformation, sulfur reactivity and stereochemistry must be varied together in designed molecular systems.

Typical Applications

• Penicillamine-containing peptide synthesis: Used to introduce an L-penicillamine residue into peptide sequences, replacing a conventional amino acid with a sterically hindered thiol-bearing unit for conformational and structure–activity investigations.
• Sulfur-containing metal complexes: Used as a chiral ligand precursor in coordination experiments, supplying sulfur together with amino or carboxylate donor sites for investigating metal binding and complex structure.
• Disulfide-linked molecular structures: Used in synthetic studies that oxidize penicillamine thiols to disulfides, providing a sterically substituted sulfur linkage in peptide or small-molecule systems.

Specifications

Specifications describe the standard grade. Tolerance, test method and documentation package are confirmed per order.