## 3 Experimental Section
### Synthesis of Compounds
#### 3.2.10. 2-(Nonanoylamino)-3-methylpentanoic acid (\(N\)-nonanoyll isoleucine)  
Using the same reaction and isolation procedure as that for \(N\)-nonanoyll alanine above, \(N\)-nonanoyll isoleucine was prepared using \(N\)-nonanoyll isoleucine methyl ester (0.972 g, 3.41 mmol), THF (4.25 mL), and aqueous NaOH (1 M, 3.4 mL) to produce a white solid. Recrystallisation in 1:1 EtOAc/hexane produced the title compound (590 mg, 2.17 mmol, 64%) as fine white crystals that were 98% pure (HPLC-MS). [a]\({}_{\rm D}^{\rm 20}=+26.9\) (_c_ 1.135, CHCl\({}_{3}\)). \({}^{1}\)H-NMR (MeOH-\(d_{4}\)) \(\delta\) 8.45-7.72 (1H, bs, CO2\(H\)); 6.24-6.16 (1H, m, N\(H\)); 4.63 (1H, dd, \(J\) = 8.5, 4.7 Hz, H\({}_{11}\)); 2.31-2.22 (2H, m, H\({}_{2}\)); 1.99-1.92 (1H, m, H\({}_{12}\)); 1.63 (2H, app q, \(J\) = 7.4 Hz, H\({}_{3}\)); 1.50 (1H, dqd, \(J\) = 13.4, 7.4, 4.5 Hz, H\({}_{3}\)); 1.35-1.21 (10H, m, H\({}_{4}\)); 1.26-1.17 (1H, m, H\({}_{13}\)); 0.95 (3H, d, \(J\) = 6.8 Hz, H\({}_{15}\)); 0.94 (3H, t, \(J\) = 7.4 Hz, H\({}_{14}\)); 0.88 (3H, t, \(J\) = 7.0 Hz, H\({}_{9}\)). \({}^{13}\)C-NMR (MeOH-\(d_{4}\)) \(\delta\) 175.40 (C\({}_{1}\)); 174.03 (C\({}_{10}\)); 56.41 (C\({}_{11}\)); 37.62 (C\({}_{12}\)); 36.62 (C\({}_{2}\)); 31.77 (C\({}\)); 29.23, 29.17, 29.11 (C\({}_{4,5,6}\)); 25.69 (C\({}_{3}\)); 25.03 (C\({}_{15}\)); 22.61 (Cs); 15.37 (C\({}_{13}\)); 14.07 (C\({}_{9}\)); 11.57 (C\({}_{14}\)). ESI-HRMS (_m/z_): Calcd for C\({}_{15}\)H\({}_{30}\)NO\({}_{3}\)\({}^{+}\) ([M+H]\({}^{+}\)), 272.2215; found, 272.2220.  
3.2.11. Methyl 2-(dodecanoyllamino)-3-methylpentanoate (\(N\)-dodecanoyll isoleucine methyl ester)  
Using the same reaction and isolation procedure as that for \(N\)-nonanoyll alanine methyl ester above, \(N\)-dodecanoyll isoleucine methyl ester was prepared using dodecanoic acid (801.6 mg, 4 mmol), CDI (648.6 mg, 4 mmol), methyl l-isoleucine (726.6 mg, 4 mmol) in THF (8.79 mL), producing a white solid (1.269 g, 3.85 mmol, 96%). A small portion was purified for characterisation by column chromatography on silica (85% CH2 Clz/EtOAc, R\({}_{\rm f}\) = 0.59) producing the title compound as white powder, which was 98% pure (HPLC-MS). [a]\({}_{\rm D}^{\rm 20}=+24.1\) (_c_ 0.76, CHCl\({}_{3}\)). \({}^{1}\)H-NMR (MeOH-\(d_{4}\)) \(\delta\) 5.99-5.94 (1H, m, N\(H\)); 4.62 (1H, dd, \(J\) = 8.6, 5.0 Hz, H\({}_{14}\)); 2.22 (2H, app t, \(J\) = 7.6 Hz, H\({}_{2}\)); 1.92-1.84 (1H, m, H15); 1.63 (2H, app q, \(J\) = 7.3 Hz, H3); 1.44 (1H, dqd, \(J\) = 14.8, 7.4, 4.7 Hz, H16); 1.36-1.21 (16H, m, H\({}_{4\rm 11}\)); 1.16 (1H, dqd, \(J\) = 14.8, 7.4, 7.3 Hz, H\({}_{13}\)); 0.92 (3H, t, \(J\) = 7.4 Hz, H\({}_{17}\)); 0.91 (3H, d, \(J\) = 6.9 Hz, H\({}_{18}\)); 0.88 (3H, t, \(J\) = 7.0 Hz, H\({}_{9}\)). \({}^{13}\)C-NMR (MeOH-\(d_{4}\)) \(\delta\) 172.91 (C\({}_{1}\)); 172.74 (C\({}_{3}\)); 56.12 (C\({}_{14}\)); 52.07 (C\({}_{19}\)); 37.97 (C\({}_{15}\)); 36.71 (C\({}_{2}\)); 31.87 (C\({}_{10}\)), 30.92, 29.58, 29.46, 29.30, 29.21 (C\({}_{4,5,6,7,8,9}\)); 25.65 (C\({}_{3}\)); 25.18 (C\({}_{18}\)); 22.66 (C\({}_{11}\)); 15.38 (C\({}_{16}\)); 14.10 (C\({}_{12}\)); 11.55 (C\({}_{17}\)). ESI-HRMS (_m/z_): Calcd for C\({}_{19}\)H\({}_{38}\)NO\({}_{3}\)\({}^{+}\) ([M+H]\({}^{+}\)), 328.2838; found, 328.2846.