Local Control of the Cis–Trans Isomerization and Backbone Dihedral Angles in Peptides Using Trifluoromethylated Pseudoprolines

NMR studies and theoretical calculations have been performed on model peptides Ac-Ser­(ΨPro)-NHMe, (S,S)­Ac-Ser­(Ψ^H,CF3Pro)-NHMe, and (R,S)­Ac-Ser­(Ψ^CF3,HPro)-NHMe. Their thermodynamic and kinetic features have been analyzed in chloroform, DMSO, and water, allowing a precise description of their conformational properties. We found that trifluoromethyl C^δ-substitutions of oxazolidine-based pseudoprolines can strongly influence the cis–trans rotational barriers with only moderate effects on the cis/trans population ratio. In CHCl₃, the configuration of the CF₃–C^δ entirely controls the ψ-dihedral angle, allowing the stabilization of γ-turn-like or PPI/PPII-like backbone conformations. Moreover, in water and DMSO, this C^δ-configuration can be used to efficiently constrain the ring puckering without affecting the cis/trans population ratio. Theoretical calculations have ascertained the electronic and geometric properties induced by the trifluoromethyl substituent and provided a rational understanding of the NMR observations.