''N'','-Diisopropylcarbodiimide is a

carbodiimide In organic chemistry, a carbodiimide (systematic IUPAC name: methanediimine) is a functional group with the formula RN=C=NR. On Earth they are exclusively synthetic, but in interstellar space the parent compound HN=C=NH has been detected by its ...

used in

peptide synthesis In organic chemistry, peptide synthesis is the production of peptides, compounds where multiple amino acids are linked via amide bonds, also known as peptide bonds. Peptides are chemically synthesized by the condensation reaction of the carboxyl ...

. As a liquid, it is easier to handle than the commonly used ''N'','-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, a waxy solid. In addition, ''N'','-diisopropylurea, its byproduct in many chemical reactions, is soluble in most

organic solvents A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...

, a property that facilitates work-up.

Safety

''In vivo'' dermal sensitization studies according to

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...

429 confirmed DIC is a strong skin sensitizer, showing a response at 0.20 wt% in the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) placing it in Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Dermal Sensitization Category 1A. Thermal hazard analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows DIC poses minimal explosion risks.

References

Peptide coupling reagents Carbodiimides Reagents for biochemistry Biochemistry Biochemistry methods Isopropylamino compounds {{alkanederivative-stub