The design, synthesis, and evaluation of a series of catechol-based non-peptide peptidomimetics of the peptide hormone somatostatin havebeen achieved. These ligands comprise the simplest known non-peptide mimetics of the
i + 1 and
i + 2 positions of the somatostatin
-turn.Incorporation of an additional side chain to include the
i position of the
-turn induces a selective 9-fold affinity enhancement at the sst
2receptor.