α,β-Difluoro-γ- amino acids Synthesis and applications

This mini-review highlights some recent developments in the study of selectively fluorinated gamma-amino acids. Specifically, the different stereoisomers of alpha,beta-difluoro-gamma-aminobutyric acid have been synthesised. Conformational analysis reveals that the different stereoisomers exhibit very different conformational behaviour, and this leads to biological applications of these molecules as subtype-selective GABA receptor ligands. Finally, a perspective is given on possible future applications of these molecules as components of shape-controlled bioactive peptides.