tert-Butyl glycinate is the tert-butyl ester of glycine (H₂N-CH₂-COOC(CH₃)₃), serving as a key building block in organic synthesis, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry for peptide synthesis and the preparation of amino acid derivatives. The tert-butyl ester group protects the carboxylic acid, enabling selective reactions at the free amine group, which is useful in stepwise assembly of peptides and peptidomimetics. It is commonly employed in the synthesis of bioactive molecules and drug intermediates, where orthogonal protection strategies are required. Note that glycine is achiral, so it does not introduce stereochemistry but maintains flexibility in non-chiral positions.