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Next Generation Research Chemicals

Better Building Blocks for Drug Discovery

Access our catalogue of 140,000+ high-quality heterocyclic building blocks and complex scaffolds. Trusted by medicinal chemists worldwide for over 20 years.

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Expert Support

PhD-level technical assistance

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Custom Synthesis & Scale Up

Expert synthesis services for complex molecules and scale-up production tailored to your needs.

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Premium Chemical Building Blocks for Drug Discovery Research

As a leading supplier of chemicals and building blocks for pharmaceutical research and synthetic chemistry, we provide access to over 140,000 high-quality compounds. Our comprehensive product portfolio is based on our 20 years experience providing innovative and cutting-edge building blocks with the highest quality. Our catalogue includes heterocycles, fluorinated compounds, spirocycles, cycloalkyls, boronic acids, amino acids, PEG linkers, alkynes, azides and much more – all available for fast delivery to support your research projects.

Our chemical building blocks are used by leading pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and academic research institutions worldwide. We pride ourselves on our high-quality products and customer service. Every product is delivered with the highest quality standards for your research projects.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our chemical building blocks and services

We offer an extensive range of over 140,000 building blocks and chemical reagents including heterocycles, amino acids, boronic acids, PEG linkers, fluorinated compounds, spiro compounds, cycloalkyls, alkynes, azides, bicyclic rings, catalysts and many more specialised compounds for, organic chemistry, pharmaceutical research and drug discovery.

It is our top priority to provide high purity products to our customers. Our products are supplied with a standard purity of 95%, many with >98% or >99%. Each batch is verified through state-of-the-art analytical methods (NMR, HPLC, LC-MS) and documented with a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). Specific purity available upon request.

95% of our catalogue products are in stock, with delivery worldwide within 5 working days. Our experienced chemists ensure that for custom synthesis projects, typical delivery times range from 2-8 weeks with superior success rates.

Yes, we provide professional custom synthesis services for tailored chemical compounds. Our experienced team of chemists can synthesise complex molecules from milligram to kilogram quantities. We specialise in organic synthesis, amino synthesis, heterocyclic chemistry, fluorine chemistry, boronic acid derivatives, and chiral synthesis.

Our product purity is validated by our QC department, with a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) available for all purchased material.  Purity is determined by NMR spectra (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR), HPLC chromatograms, mass spectrometry (MS/LC-MS) data. The enantiomeric excess of chiral compounds is determined by optical rotation or chiral HPLC.

Absolutely. Our service supports projects from process development to pilot production. We can produce compounds in quantities ranging from milligrams for initial screening to kilograms for preclinical and clinical studies. We can support you through the drug discovery process at all scales. We optimize synthetic routes for maximum yield, minimum cost, and improved sustainability.

We deliver building blocks and reagents worldwide with complete documentation for international shipping from our offices in Germany and the UK. Our experienced logistics department handles all regulatory requirements, dangerous goods documentation, and customs paperwork. We have local inventory in Germany and the UK for faster delivery.

Yes, Activate Scientific operates dedicated warehouses in both the UK and Germany, allowing stock to be dispatched from whichever location is closer to the customer. This dual-site setup means UK customers can avoid EU customs delays, while EU-based labs can receive deliveries without the cross-Channel paperwork that has become common since Brexit. Having both UK and EU stock also reduces lead times for time-sensitive medicinal chemistry projects.
Fast EU to EU shipping is available from our German office. Our experienced logistics teams in our German office provide our customers with first class customer service. All orders for customers in the EU will be shipped from our German office for fast, hassle free EU-EU delivery.
Yes, EU customers order directly from the German head office, so shipments stay within the EU and never cross UK customs. This avoids the extra paperwork, import VAT complications, and delays that have affected EU-UK chemical shipping since 2021. Orders are processed and dispatched intra-EU, which keeps delivery times predictable for research labs working to tight deadlines.
Yes, we offer shipping to the USA. We regularly ship our building blocks and reagents to the United States of America. Our experienced logistics department handles all regulatory requirements, dangerous goods documentation, and customs paperwork.
Yes, safety data sheets and the commercial invoices needed for customs clearance are provided with every international shipment. This is standard for any supplier shipping chemicals across borders, and the documentation typically meets both US and Canadian import requirements. Having this paperwork ready in advance helps avoid delays at customs.

We offer an advanced structure search tool powered by Marvin JS technology that allows you to search by molecular structure, substructure, and similarity. You can draw your target structure directly in the browser and find exact matches, similar compounds, or building blocks containing specific substructures. You can also search our catalogue using compound ID, name, CAS and SMILES code.

Yes, our catalogue supports CAS number based searching. Our search tools allow you to search using:

  •  Chemical name
  • CAS number 
  • Compound ID (AS number) 
  • MDL Number  
  • SMILES 
  • InChI

We also offer structure search. Our search tools offer Substructure search, Exact structure and Similarity search. This allows you to find the product you want as quickly and easily as possible. Our quick and easy-to-use search tools help you save time when looking for chemicals. The similarity and structure search helps you easily find great alternatives if we do not have the material you are looking for.

Yes, our chemical building blocks are specifically designed for pharmaceutical research and drug discovery. They are used by all big pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and academic research institutions worldwide for applications including drug discovery, lead optimisation, fragment-based drug design, and chemical biology.

Yes, we work under strict confidential non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for all custom synthesis projects. We protect your intellectual property throughout the entire project and maintain complete confidentiality regarding your compound structures, research goals, and project details.

Yes, the catalogue includes chiral building blocks, and enantiomeric purity is confirmed by either optical rotation measurements or chiral HPLC analysis. For custom synthesis projects, the team can produce enantiomerically pure target compounds from scratch, including through asymmetric synthesis routes. Chiral purity data is documented in the Certificate of Analysis. Specific chiral purity is available on request.

Our products are used in diverse research areas including drug discovery and lead optimization, fragment-based drug design (FBDD), chemical biology and probe development, agrochemical research, materials science, peptide and protein conjugation, bioconjugation, click chemistry, and medicinal chemistry research across various therapeutic areas.

Yes, the catalogue includes PEG linkers, alkyl linkers, and functional building blocks commonly used in PROTAC design, including amine and carboxylic acid termini for coupling to both the target ligand and the E3 ligase binder. The linker catalogue alone contains over 400 PEG linker products at high purity. In addition to our linkers, we also offer CRBN ligands and VHL ligands. We have established a robust library of pre-formed E3-ligand linker intermediates. This resource enables the efficient synthesis of a wide array of diverse PROTAC candidates, facilitating their rapid evaluation and optimisation for targeted protein degradation applications.

For bespoke PROTAC linker synthesis or custom bifunctional molecules, the custom synthesis team can be contacted using our contact tools.

Yes, the catalogue is well suited for fragment-based drug design (FBDD) programmes, with a broad selection of small, low molecular weight scaffolds across heterocycle classes including pyridines, imidazoles, pyrazoles, and indoles. Fragment libraries can be assembled from the catalogue using the structure search tool to select compounds that meet defined fragment criteria such as molecular weight below 300 Da and cLogP below 3. Custom fragment sets can also be compiled through the sales team.
Drug-likeness properties such as cLogP, hydrogen bond donor count, and hydrogen bond acceptor count are physicochemical parameters that indicate how suitable a compound is for oral drug development. Activate Scientific displays these values on individual product pages so researchers can quickly filter or compare building blocks without having to calculate properties themselves. This saves time during hit-to-lead and lead optimisation campaigns where Lipinski and related rule sets are used to prioritise compound selection.
Yes, Activate Scientific is accessible through SAP Ariba, which allows procurement teams at large pharmaceutical companies and institutions to raise purchase orders through their existing procurement platforms without setting up a separate account or payment process. This simplifies ordering for organisations that require all supplier transactions to go through an approved procurement system.
Catalogue building blocks are available from milligram quantities, with standard pack sizes typically ranging from 100 mg to 1 kg depending on the compound. Pricing per pack is shown on individual product pages in GBP, EUR, USD, and CHF.

Smaller pack sizes not listed on our website are available on request. For larger quantities or custom pack sizes not listed, the sales team can provide a quote.
We work with individual research groups and institutional procurement teams and are happy to discuss account terms, including SAP Ariba integration for large organisations — contact our sales team to discuss options relevant to your institution or company.
Standard catalogue pack sizes start from 100 mg for most compounds, letting you trial a building block at low cost before scaling up — for pack sizes smaller than those listed on the product page, contact our sales team directly.

Still have questions?

Our scientific support team is here to help you find the right chemical building blocks for your research
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Alkynes remain one of the most versatile functional groups in the medicinal chem
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Alkynes remain one of the most versatile functional groups in the medicinal chemist's toolkit. The triple bond delivers a compact, linear, and metabolically robust framework that enhances lipophilicity, tightens binding geometry, and resists common metabolic oxidation pathways simultaneously.

In oncology this has been directly exploited. Acalabrutinib \(Calquence, AstraZeneca\), an FDA-approved second-generation BTK inhibitor for mantle cell lymphoma and CLL, uses an alkyne-containing warhead that reacts selectively with Cys481 on BTK. Compared with the acrylamide-bearing ibrutinib, it is a softer electrophile, reducing off-target cysteine reactivity and improving the tolerability profile in the clinic. The nitrile bioisostere relationship is worth flagging too. Alkynes and nitriles share linear geometry but differ in polarity and reactivity. A 2023 Oxford study showed terminal alkyne analogues of nirmatrelvir inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro irreversibly via Cys145, while the nitrile parent reacts reversibly. The terminal position also remains open for further decoration, offering handles to tune selectivity and pharmacokinetics that the nitrile simply cannot. In targeted protein degradation, alkynes are proving equally valuable. An alkyne-containing scaffold underpinned PD-305, a subnanomolar PTPN2 PROTAC degrader with cancer immunotherapy applications. Separately, copper-catalysed A3 alkyne-amine-aldehyde couplings were used to generate chiral PROTAC linkers that degrade BRD4 in cells, reinforcing the alkyne's dual role as both synthetic handle and structural contributor Alkynes address persistent bottlenecks across programmes: sp2-heavy scaffolds gain rigidity and metabolic stability, covalent projects gain a tunable warhead alternative to acrylamides, and PROTAC linker libraries benefit from click-ready building blocks that accelerate SAR. As the covalent inhibitor space grows and degrader modalities demand more creative linker chemistry, the alkyne's moment is still arriving. Do you see the alkyne warhead gaining ground over the acrylamide as the default cysteine-targeting motif, or will selectivity concerns at scale continue to favour the softer electrophile? Explore our range of Alkyne building blocks using our advanced search tools at https://lnkd.in/eVbfw6Ua To read more, take a look at the following interesting papers: 1. Alkyne Derivatives of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Including Nirmatrelvir Inhibit by Reacting Covalently with the Nucleophilic Cysteine https://lnkd.in/e-Cn298i 2. Use of Aldehyde–Alkyne–Amine Couplings to Generate Medicinal Chemistry-Relevant Linkers https://lnkd.in/eZ\_2H5ie

#ClickChemistry #DrugDiscovery #MedicinalChemistry
The 2,2-Difluorocyclobutyl motif in Drug Discovery
Fluorine has earned its place
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The 2,2-Difluorocyclobutyl motif in Drug Discovery

Fluorine has earned its place in medicinal chemistry through years of demonstrated utility, but single fluorine substitution and the trifluoromethyl group get most of the attention. Gem-difluorocyclobutyl groups have received considerably less attention despite offering a useful combination of conformational control and physicochemical tuning in appropriate contexts. The 2,2-difluorocyclobutyl group brings together two effects that are individually valuable but particularly powerful in combination. The fluorines reduce the electron density of the ring and alter the conformational preference of substituents at the 1-position through a combination of inductive and stereoelectronic effects. This biases the preferred ring conformation and restricts the conformational space available to adjacent groups, which can improve metabolic stability in suitable scaffolds compared to the corresponding unfluorinated cyclobutyl analogue. The clinical relevance of this effect is well illustrated by ivosidenib, the FDA-approved mutant IDH1 inhibitor, where the gem-difluorocyclobutane motif was found to be crucial in increasing metabolic stability while maintaining potency during lead optimisation. The ring also adds three-dimensional character without a substantial molecular weight penalty. Swapping a flat aromatic substituent for a 2,2-difluorocyclobutyl group reduces planarity, which matters as our understanding of molecular complexity and its relationship to clinical success has evolved. Greater molecular saturation has been associated with improved clinical success in retrospective analyses, and gem-difluorocyclobutyl groups offer alternatives to aromatic rings while introducing distinct steric and electronic properties that can be advantageous during lead optimisation. We have a selection of 2,2-difluorocyclobutyl building blocks in our catalogue, designed for direct use in lead optimisation programmes. Have you incorporated 2,2-difluorocyclobutyl into a lead series? Further reading: 1.Discovery of New Difluorocyclobutyl Derivatives as Effective Glucagon-Like Peptide‑1 Receptor Agonists with Reduced hERG Inhibitory Activities https://lnkd.in/e4rHPrt8 2. Synthesis of gem-Difluorocyclobutanes: Organolanthanum Enabled Synthesis and Divergent Catalytic Functionalization of gem-Difluorocyclobutanols https://lnkd.in/eK3Ec5\_X 3. Synthesis of gem-Difluorocyclobutane-Fused Indolines via Ruthenium-Catalyzed Defluorinative Annulation of Trifluoromethyl Carbenoids with 2-Alkenylanilines https://lnkd.in/e2pqmCZq

#ActivateScientific #Fluorine #LeadOptimisation
LATEST ADDITIONS

Great New Molecules

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2-(2,4-Dichlorophenoxy)-1-(1-piperidyl)-1-propanone 97%
CAS: 101991-76-8
Size: 250 mg

Formula C14H17Cl2NO2
MW 302.19
MDL MFCD01339369
Price €173.00 per 250MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 3.7732 HBD 0 HBA 2
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Methyl (2R,4S)-1-Boc-4-methoxypyrrolidine-2-carboxylate 95%
CAS: 1147107-21-8
Size: 100 mg

Formula C12H21NO5
MW 259.29
MDL MFCD35163593
Price €332.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 1.1838 HBD 0 HBA 5
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6-Oxo-N-(2-propyn-1-yl)-1,6-dihydropyridine-3-carboxamide 97%
CAS: 1040070-36-7
Size: 100 mg

Formula C9H8N2O2
MW 176.17
MDL MFCD11174677
Price €278.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP -0.2621 HBD 2 HBA 2
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3-Bromo-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole 95%
CAS: 50877-46-8
Size: 100 mg

Formula C9H7BrN2
MW 223.06
MDL MFCD12756600
Price €250.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 2.6348 HBD 0 HBA 2
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5-Allyl-2,4-dichloro-5H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine 97%
CAS: 1375303-26-6
Size: 100 mg

Formula C9H7Cl2N3
MW 228.07
MDL MFCD22381721
Price €426.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 2.9241 HBD 0 HBA 3
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4-Isopropylpiperidin-4-ol 97%
CAS: 553631-46-2
Size: 100 mg

Formula C8H17NO
MW 143.22
MDL MFCD17222195
Price €241.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 0.7569 HBD 2 HBA 2
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Ethyl 2-Bromo-1-methyl-imidazole-4-carboxylate 95%
CAS: 1639289-05-6
Size: 250 mg

Formula C7H9BrN2O2
MW 233.06
MDL MFCD30187875
Price €217.00 per 250MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 1.3593 HBD 0 HBA 4
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4-(1-Methyltriazol-4-yl)benzoic Acid 97%
CAS: 1876178-39-0
Size: 250 mg

Formula C10H9N3O2
MW 203.19
MDL MFCD30748734
Price €321.00 per 250MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 1.1803 HBD 1 HBA 4
In Stock
(2R)-1-Cbzazepane-2-carboxylic Acid 97%
CAS: 256446-70-5
Size: 250 mg

Formula C15H19NO4
MW 277.31
MDL MFCD33519158
Price €321.00 per 250MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 2.6524 HBD 1 HBA 3
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1-[4-(4-Aminobenzyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethanone 97%
CAS: 934601-25-9
Size: 100 mg

Formula C13H19N3O
MW 233.30
MDL MFCD09737041
Price €259.00 per 100MG
Drug-likeness properties Drug-likeness: sLogP 0.9329 HBD 1 HBA 3
QUALITY & SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Your Trusted Source for High-Purity Chemical Reagents

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Highest Purity Standards

Our building blocks are supplied with the highest purity standards. With a standard purity of 95%, many with >98% or >99%. Each batch is verified through state-of-the-art analytical methods (NMR, HPLC, LC-MS) and documented with a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). Specific purity available upon request.

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Fast Delivery Worldwide

Over 95% of our products are available in stock and can be shipped via express delivery. Quick and easy EU shipping is available from our German office. For special requirements, we also offer express synthesis and customized production timelines.

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Global Shipping Network

We deliver chemical molecules and reagents worldwide with complete documentation for international shipping. Our experienced logistics department handles all regulatory requirements and shipping documentation.

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Diverse range of Building Blocks

Our diverse catalogue is highly tailored for medicinal chemistry, small molecule drug discovery and organic synthesis. Our unique range of building blocks adds value to any research project.

Our diverse catalogue includes a wide range of aromatic, sp3, chiral, bicyclic, spirocyclic and highly functionalised building blocks. We have the molecules you need to make your project progress.

Our product range is continuously expanded based on current trends in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. We monitor leading scientific publications and add new compounds daily that are relevant for drug discovery, fragment-based development, and chemical biology research.

OUR MISSION

Great Molecules for Chemical Diversity

By monitoring the latest trends in publications in medicinal chemistry research, we are adding new products daily for applications across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

The 20 years of experience in supplying cutting edge building blocks has given us the expertise to bring you the most exciting chemical motifs adding chemical diversity to your projects. By continuously adding and developing our catalogue we ensure that you have the best access to cutting-edge compounds and reagents allowing you to meet the needs of any research project.


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Amino Acids

Amino Acids

1,200+ Products

Boronic Acids

Boronic Acids

12,000+ Products

PEG Linkers

PEG Linkers

2,000+ Products

Azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane

Azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane

250+ Products

Fluorides

Fluorides

39,000+ Products

Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane

Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane

300+ Products

Cyclopropane

Cyclopropane

4,500+ Products

Alkynes

Alkynes

2000+ Products

Azides

Azides

750+ Products

Pyridine

Pyridine

15,000+ Products

CUSTOM SOLUTIONS

Custom Synthesis & Scale-Up Services

Beyond our extensive catalog, we offer reliable custom synthesis services for tailored chemical compounds. Our experienced team of chemists can synthesise complex molecules from milligram to kilogram quantities.

Our Custom Synthesis Capabilities:

  • Organic Synthesis – from simple building blocks to complex multi-step syntheses
  • Amino acid Synthesis – modified amino acids and decorated unnatural amino acids
  • Heterocyclic Chemistry – pyridines, pyrimidines, oxazoles, thiazoles, piperazines, indoles and more
  • Fluorine Chemistry - selective fluorination, trifluoromethylation and other fluorine substitution
  • Boronic Acid Derivatives – pinacol esters, trifluoroborate salts, MIDA boronates
  • Chiral Synthesis – enantiomerically pure compounds, asymmetric catalysis

Scale-Up for Production Development

Our scale-up service supports you from process development to pilot production. We optimise synthetic routes for maximum yield, minimum cost, and improved sustainability. Whether you need 100 grams for preclinical studies or several kilograms – we have the capacity and expertise.

mg - kg
Flexible Quantities
2-8 weeks
Typical Delivery Time
>95%
Success Rate

All custom synthesis projects are delivered with complete process documentation, analytical data, and regulatory support. We work under confidential non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and protect your intellectual property throughout the entire project.

EXPERTISE & EXPERIENCE

Your Trusted Partner for Chemical Innovation

With over 20 years of experience in the chemical industry and pharmaceutical research, we have established ourselves as a reliable partner for scientists and researchers worldwide. Our team of experienced chemists possesses comprehensive expertise in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and process development.

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Highest Purity Standards

Rigorous QC verified through state-of-the-art analytical methods

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Global Reach

Delivery to over 80 countries, local inventory in Germany and the UK

Application Areas of Our Products

Our chemical building blocks and specialty chemicals are used in diverse research areas:

  • Drug Discovery & Lead Optimization
  • Fragment-Based Drug Design (FBDD)
  • Chemical Biology & Probe Development
  • Agrochemical Research
  • Materials Science
  • Peptide & Protein Conjugation

We understand the specific requirements of pharmaceutical research and development and offer not only high-quality products but also comprehensive technical support. Our scientific team is available to assist you with product selection, synthesis planning, and analytical methods.

Contact Our Experts

Do you have specific requirements or questions about our products and services? Our scientific team is happy to advise you personally.

All products mentioned are intended for research and development purposes only and are not for human use or diagnostic applications.