Used in peptide synthesis as a protected amino acid building block, enabling selective coupling reactions without side-chain interference. The Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl) group provides temporary amine protection that is stable under basic conditions but can be removed under mild acidic conditions, allowing for stepwise assembly of complex peptides. The tert-butyl group on the alpha carbon introduces steric hindrance, which can influence conformation and stability in the resulting peptide structure. Commonly employed in solid-phase and solution-phase synthesis for pharmaceutical and biochemical research.