(9-Fluorenylmethyl) chloroformate, also known as Fmoc chloride, is a highly versatile reagent with varied applications in organic synthesis. It is most frequently used to introduce the base-labile Fmoc-protecting group to amine functionalities, particularly during the production of Fmoc-protected amino acids. Fmoc-chloride has also been used to generate mixed carboxylic and carbonic anhydrides to facilitate amide and ester bond formation. It is soluble in common organic solvents such as dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, and dimethylformamide.

Recent applications of (9-Fluorenylmethyl) chloroformate include:

• (9-Fluorenylmethyl) chloroformate can be used as a coupling reagent.
• In the synthesis of amino acid esters. Fmoc chloride activates the carboxylic acid group of the amino acid, allowing it to react with an alcohol to form the ester.
• In the preparation of lysogangliosides.
• In the solid-phase peptide synthesis of DOPA-containing peptides.