Solid support linker strategies.

The selection of an appropriate linker is critical to the success of any strategy for the solid-phase synthesis of small molecule libraries. While the primary function of the linker is to covalently attach the initial substrate to the support, innovative strategies have emerged recently in which linkers fulfill important auxiliary roles. These include the cleavage of compounds into solution leaving no trace of the support attachment site, cleavage via cyclization, cleavage by introduction of additional diversity into the structure, and cleavage whereby portions of the compound are sequentially released into solution.