Boc-Orn(Z)-OH is widely used as a building block in solution-phase and solid-phase peptide synthesis for the preparation of bioactive peptides peptide-based therapeutics and other research compounds containing ornithine residues.

Its purpose is to protect both amino groups of ornithine during peptide synthesis allowing selective and controlled formation of peptide bonds while preventing unwanted side reactions.

Boc-Orn(Z)-OH is a doubly protected derivative of the amino acid ornithine in which the alpha-amino group is protected with a Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl) group and the side-chain amino group is protected with a Z (benzyloxycarbonyl Cbz) group.