Copper(I)‐chitin biopolymer based: An efficient and recyclable catalyst for click azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions in water

Abstract

The naturally occurring α‐chitin biopolymer was employed for the immobilisation of copper(I) ion, resulting into a new bioconjugate complex, namely, Cu(I)‐α‐chitin (CuI‐CHT) with catalytic efficiency in copper‐catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions (click chemistry, CuAAC). The prepared catalyst was characterised by using spectroscopic and analytical methods such as Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis. The catalytic activity of CuI‐CHT was investigated in the [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of alkynes and organic azides for the regioselective click of 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazole derivatives in water at room temperature. The catalytic results indicate that the prepared CuI‐CHT catalyst led to a high yield with a regioselective synthesis of the corresponding 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles under strict click conditions. The reusability and simple recovery of this catalyst make it a suitable sustainable catalyst for CuAAC reactions.