Cu-catalyzed Azide-alkyne Cycloaddition Reaction Research Articles

Synthesis, DFT calculations, and investigation of catalytic and biological activities of back‐bond functionalized re‐NHC‐Cu complexes

Five copper complexes (3a–e) stabilized by ring‐expanded back‐bond functionalized N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands (re‐NHCs) were produced in the glovebox by reacting free re‐NHC with CuI precursor. The potential of these re‐NHC‐Cu complexes as catalysts on the synthesis of mono‐ and di‐(1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles) by Cu‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions was investigated. Various spectroscopic approaches were utilized to completely characterize the structures of the re‐Cu‐NHC complexes. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to get further insights into their molecular geometry and CuAAC reaction mechanism. The re‐NHC‐Cu complexes showed high activity on the CuAAC reaction in an open‐air atmosphere at rt. The Gibbs free energies as well as the optimized geometries of the intermediates and the transition states of the determining step of the reactions catalyzed by 3a, 3e, and 3b complexes were computed. Complex 3e was found to be the most efficient catalyst among these re‐NHC‐Cu complexes. Additionally, re‐Cu‐NHC complexes were investigated for their biological activities, including antiproliferative, antioxidant, AChE and TyrE inhibition, and antiparasitic activity. The results showed that the 3b, 3d, and 3e complexes possessed strong antiproliferative activity against human colon carcinoma (HCT‐116) and moderate cytotoxic activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG‐2) cell lines. In addition, effective selective antileishmanial effects were observed for the 3e compound against both promastigotes and amastigotes stages of L. major with an IC50 value of 0.027 and 0.39 μM mL−1, respectively. These results demonstrate that these compounds are promising candidates for the treatment of colorectal cancer and leishmaniasis.

Mechanistic Basis of the Cu(OAc)2 Catalyzed Azide-Ynamine (3 + 2) Cycloaddition Reaction.

The Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is used as a ligation tool throughout chemical and biological sciences. Despite the pervasiveness of CuAAC, there is a need to develop more efficient methods to form 1,4-triazole ligated products with low loadings of Cu. In this paper, we disclose a mechanistic model for the ynamine-azide (3 + 2) cycloadditions catalyzed by copper(II) acetate. Using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses, a dual catalytic cycle is identified. First, the formation of a diyne species via Glaser-Hay coupling of a terminal ynamine forms a Cu(I) species competent to catalyze an ynamine-azide (3 + 2) cycloaddition. Second, the benzimidazole unit of the ynamine structure has multiple roles: assisting C-H activation, Cu coordination, and the formation of a postreaction resting state Cu complex after completion of the (3 + 2) cycloaddition. Finally, reactivation of the Cu resting state complex is shown by the addition of isotopically labeled ynamine and azide substrates to form a labeled 1,4-triazole product. This work provides a mechanistic basis for the use of mixed valency binuclear catalytic Cu species in conjunction with Cu-coordinating alkynes to afford superior reactivity in CuAAC reactions. Additionally, these data show how the CuAAC reaction kinetics can be modulated by changes to the alkyne substrate, which then has a predictable effect on the reaction mechanism.

Synthesis of Bioactive 1,2,3-Triazole-Fused Macrocycles via Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition

AbstractA systematic highlight of syntheses reported since 2006 of 1,2,3-triazole-fused macrocycles possessing biological activities such as anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antilarval action, is presented in this review. The well-renowned Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction was noted to be highly efficient and is one the most common methods utilized by scientists for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted triazole-fused macrocycles, whereas Ru-catalyzed cycloaddition is common for the formation of 1,5-disubstituted bioactive triazoles. This review would thus be extremely beneficial for both synthetic organic and medicinal chemists.1 Introduction2 Anticancer Derivatives3 Antibacterial Derivatives4 Derivatives with Dual Activity5 Antilarval Derivatives6 Anti-inflammatory Derivatives7 Antiviral Derivatives8 Anti-trypanosomal Derivatives9 Derivatives with Miscellaneous Activities10 Conclusion

Synthesis of Epichlorohydrin-based Click-dendrons with Different Functional Groups

Abstract: A methodology for synthesizing 1st generation triazole-containing dendrons based on epichlorohydrin with different functional groups was developed using a Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) reaction. The proposed methodology uses simple reagents and can serve as a basis for the synthesis of dendrons and dendrimers of higher generations. High reaction yields as well as the cost of starting reagents, make the preparation of such compounds economically and environmentally favorable.

Post-Functionalization of Organometallic Complexes via Click-Reaction

CuAAC (Cu catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition) click-reaction is a simple and powerful method for the post-synthetic modification of organometallic complexes of transition metals. This approach allows the selective introduction of additional donor sites or functional groups to the periphery of the ligand environment. This is especially important if a metalloligand with free donor sites, which are of the same nature as the primary site for the coordination of the primary metal, has to be created. The concept of post-synthetic modification of organometallic complexes by click-reaction is relatively recent and the currently available experimental material does not yet allow us to identify trends and formulate recommendations to address specific problems. In the present study, we have applied the CuAAC reaction for the post-synthetic modification of diimine mononuclear complexes Re(I), Pt(II) and Ir(III) with C≡C bonds at the periphery of the ligand environment and demonstrated that click-chemistry is a powerful tool for the tunable chemical post-synthetic modification of coordination compounds.

Tailoring the density of carbon nanotube networks through chemical self-assembly by click reaction for reliable transistors

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWNTs) are attracting considerable interest for use as active layers in various electronic applications such as field-effect transistors (FETs) because of their extremely high intrinsic charge carrier mobility and solution processability at low costs. However, it is challenging to achieve a constant sc-SWNT density for ensuring commercial-level, uniform performance in FETs based on random-network SWNT films formed by solution processing. This paper reports a facile method for sorting sc-SWNT and precisely controlling the density of random-network sc-SWNT films by azide-functionalized polymer. The chemical self-assembly of SWNTs is performed between azide-functionalized polymer-wrapped sc-SWNTs and alkyne-based substrate via click reaction. A high-purity sc-SWNT ink is obtained by the conjugated polymer wrapping method using an azide-functionalized polyfluorene in methylcyclohexane. The sc-SWNTs are then chemically bound to a substrate with an alkyne adhesive layer through a Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. FETs with dense and uniform SWNT films with a linear density of 30 (±2) tubes μm−1 exhibit markedly high hole mobility of up to 25.4 cm2 V−1 s−1 and excellent performance uniformity. Furthermore, the SWNT films anchored on the substrates are highly resistant to exogenous disruptions, such as sonication in organic solvents, leading the great potential for applications such as biosensors that require strong adhesive strength.

Novel Copper Tagged Supported Ionic Liquid Phase Catalyst for the Synthesis of 1,4‑Disubstituted 1,2,3‑Triazoles via Cu-catalyzed Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions in Water

Novel Copper Tagged Supported Ionic Liquid Phase Catalyst for the Synthesis of 1,4‑Disubstituted 1,2,3‑Triazoles via Cu-catalyzed Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions in Water

Synthesis of an ABC triblock copolymer by a bilateral Click reaction using α,ω-bifunctionalized poly(3-hexylthiophene) as an inner segment

A novel A-b-poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)-b-C type triblock copolymer was successfully synthesized by the bilateral Cu-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition reaction using α,ω-bifunctionalized P3HT.

Synthesis, characterization, DFT-TDDFT calculations and optical properties of a novel pyrazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrid thin film

Aiming to construct active photosensitizer agents, a novel 1-((3-(3-(3,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-5-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methyl)-4-(4-methoxy phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (4MOTZ), was efficiently synthesized using click chemistry, through Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions. The experimental and simulation investigations were used for the analysis of the structure and the unique optical characteristics for [4MOTZ]TF thin films. The newly synthesized compound was fully examined by elemental analysis, FTIR, mass spectrometry, and (1H, 13C)-NMR analysis. XRD studies were performed to investigate the crystallinity of the deposited films. XRD patterns for thin films and gas-phase showed the polycrystalline structure of [4MOTZ]TF with a monoclinic 2 space group. The average crystallite size was 70.26 nm. The optical properties of the thin film were examined, and substantial straight transitions with bandgaps of 2.60 and 3.02 eV were confirmed. The optical gap predicted theoretically using DFT-TDDFT matched the optical gap observed experimentally. Also, the dispersion parameters of [4MOTZ]TF thin film were determined. The obtained results recommended that [4MOTZ]TF thin film can be utilized for prospective optoelectronic devices such as solar cells.

Direct and Indirect Biomimetic Peptide Modification of Alginate: Efficiency, Side Reactions, and Cell Response.

In the fast-developing field of tissue engineering there is a constant demand for new materials as scaffolds for cell seeding, which can better mimic a natural extracellular matrix as well as control cell behavior. Among other materials, polysaccharides are widely used for this purpose. One of the main candidates for scaffold fabrication is alginate. However, it lacks sites for cell adhesion. That is why one of the steps toward the development of suitable scaffolds for cells is the introduction of the biofunctionality to the alginate structure. In this work we focused on bone-sialoprotein derived peptide (TYRAY) conjugation to the molecule of alginate. Here the comparison study on four different approaches of peptide conjugation was performed including traditional and novel modification methods, based on 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide/N-hydroxy succinimide (EDC/NHS), 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMTMM), thiol-Michael addition and Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions. It was shown that the combination of the alginate amidation with the use of and subsequent Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition led to efficient peptide conjugation, which was proven with both NMR and XPS methods. Moreover, the cell culture experiment proved the positive effect of peptide presence on the adhesion of human embryonic stem cells.

Start of Micrometer-Sized Oil Droplet Motion through Generation of Surfactants.

Self-propelled motion of micrometer-sized oil droplets in surfactant solution has drawn much attention as an example of nonlinear life-like dynamics under far-from-equilibrium conditions. The driving force of this motion is thought to be induced by Marangoni convection based on heterogeneity in the interfacial tension at the droplet surface. Here, to clarify the required conditions for the self-propelled motion of oil droplets, we have constructed a chemical system, where oil droplet motion is induced by the production of 1,2,3-triazole-containing surfactants through the Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. From the results of the visualization and analysis of flow fields around the droplet, the motion of the droplets could be attributed to the formation of flow fields, which achieved sufficient strength caused by the in situ production of surfactants at the droplet surface.

“Click” on SAP: Superabsorbent polymer surface modification via CuAAC reaction toward antibacterial activity and improved swollen gel strength

Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) hydrogel was synthesized and surface-modified by a “click” reaction approach to enhance the mechanical and antibacterial properties of the gel. Thus, a two-step post-treatment strategy was tuned based on solvent-induced volume phase transition and Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. The processes and products were investigated by ATR-FTIR, oscillatory rheometry, SEM-EDX, XPS as well as swelling capacity and antibacterial activities. The 1,2,3-triazole formation was confirmed spectrally. The swollen gel storage modulus was significantly improved. The Cu-extracted modified SAPs represented the antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. This process is an advanced promising approach to improve and tune the properties of the microgels especially for biomedical applications.

Scalable Synthesis of Positively Charged Sequence-Defined Functional Polymers.

Synthesizing and characterizing sequence-defined polymers with positively charged backbone are great challenges. By alternately processing Menschutkin reaction and Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction, we successfully synthesized series of scalable cationic sequence-defined polymers with quaternary ammonium backbone up to 12 repeating units and characterized their precise structures. Due to the dramatic polarity difference between weak polar feed molecules and strong polar target molecules, simple precipitation in weak polar solvents is enough to obtain pure sequence-defined polymers. Such a polar-inverse strategy (PIS), without protecting groups and solid support, offers extremely high yields up to 68% after 12 reaction steps (i.e., average yield >95% for each step), favoring cost-effective large-scale production. Because of the independent reactivity of selected functional groups, the cationic sequence-defined polymers are highly programmable, including backbone composition, sequence order, functional side groups, terminal groups and topological structure. Sequence information decoding is easily achieved according to Maldi-Tof mass spectrum without retrospecting its synthetic history, resulting in a great superiority in the field of information transmitting and reading. The resulting multifunctional sequence-defined polymers are water-soluble and positively charged, opening the avenue to bioapplications such as condensing DNA, gene transfection and drug delivery.

Dendrimer-encapsulated copper(II) immobilized on Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs: a robust recoverable catalyst for click synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives in water under mild conditions

In this paper, we have introduced Fe3O4@SiO2-dendrimer-encapsulated Cu(II) as a heterogeneous reusable catalyst for Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction in good to excellent yields at ambient temperature in water without requiring ligands, reducing agents and bases. This present methodology is a clean, and environmentally friendly approach that offers many advantages including excellent yields, operational simplicity, short reaction time, and absence of any tedious workup or purification. Moreover, of interesting features are the stability of the catalyst toward leaching and the possibility of catalyst recycling without any significant loss of activity. In this paper, we have introduced Fe3O4@SiO2-dendrimer-encapsulated Cu(II) as a heterogeneous reusable catalyst for Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) in good to excellent yields at ambient temperature in water without requiring ligands, reducing agents and bases.

Copper-Catalyzed Azomethine Imine–Alkyne Cycloadditions (CuAIAC)

Although the first example of copper-catalyzed azomethine imine–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAIAC) was published only a year after the seminal papers of Meldal and Sharpless on Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), the CuAIAC reaction has remained overlooked by the synthetic community for almost a decade. Since 2010, however, CuAIAC reaction started to emerge as a promising supplement to the well-known CuAAC reaction. The present review surveys primarily the literature on CuAIAC reaction since 2003. Beside this, azomethine imine–alkyne cycloadditions catalyzed by other metals, selected examples of metal-free reactions, and related [3+3] and [3+4] cycloadditions of azomethine imines are presented. All these experimental data indicate the viability of CuAIAC in organic synthesis and the applicability in ‘click’ chemistry.1 Introduction2 Reactions with Acyclic Azomethine Imines3 Reactions with C,N-Cyclic Azomethine Imines4 Reactions with N,N-Cyclic Azomethine Imines5 Reactions with C,N,N-Cyclic Azomethine Imines6 The Mechanism of the CuAIAC Reaction7 Conclusions and Outlook

A flow platform for degradation-free CuAAC bioconjugation

The Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is a cornerstone method for the ligation of biomolecules. However, undesired Cu-mediated oxidation and Cu-contamination in bioconjugates limits biomedical utility. Here, we report a generic CuAAC flow platform for the rapid, robust, and broad-spectrum formation of discrete triazole bioconjugates. This process leverages an engineering problem to chemical advantage: solvent-mediated Cu pipe erosion generates ppm levels of Cu in situ under laminar flow conditions. This is sufficient to catalyze the CuAAC reaction of small molecule alkynes and azides, fluorophores, marketed drug molecules, peptides, DNA, and therapeutic oligonucleotides. This flow approach, not replicated in batch, operates at ambient temperature and pressure, requires short residence times, avoids oxidation of sensitive functional groups, and produces products with very low ppm Cu contamination.

Design and semisynthesis of new herbicide as 1,2,3-triazole derivatives of the natural maslinic acid

Interesting biological activities (anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, antidiabetic…) have been reported for maslinic acid (MA) and MA-based compounds. In continuation of our previous work on MA, herbicide potential of Tunisian plant extracts and 1,4-triazolyl derivatives of MA, we now wish to report semisynthesis of new MA-based triazole hybrid compounds with herbicide potential. These compounds were synthesized through Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) under microwave irradiation conditions between propargylated MA and a series of phthalimide azides. Here, the first partner of CuAAC reaction (propargylated MA) resulted from propargylation of C-28 carboxylic acid group of isolated MA from the well-known Mediterranean plant Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae). So far, phthalimide azide derivatives were achieved by trapping of N-acyliminium ion, in-situ generated under catalytic condition of Bi(OTf)3, by aromatic nucleophiles. The cycloaddition reaction afforded regiospecifically 1,4-disubstituted triazoles in good yields. The latter hybrid compounds were shown to exhibit a high inhibition potential of seed germination. This constitutes the first step in development of potent herbicides since one of the final semisynthesized structures can serve as a promising lead candidate for further studies.

Recent Advances in Cu-catalyzed Click Reaction and Its Applications

Background: Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), as the most exemplary click reaction, plays an important role in attaching a probe or substrate of interest to a specific bio-macromolecule or small molecule. So CuAAC has attracted many chemists and biologists interest. Objective: Click reaction provides a powerful tool to solve tremendous questions in chemical biology. Using CuAAC, chemists and biologists dug into plentiful chemical and biological problems. Conclusion: This review focuses on the CuAAC and its recent applications in different fields. The applications of CuAAC are dispersing to the field of detecting hydrazoic acids, fluoride ions, and labeling proteins, nucleic acids or other biological molecules and even in material science. Both in small molecular and biological macromolecular detection, CuAAC plays an important role and provides a lot of methods to investigate biological processes. The promoted CuAAC reaction is studied well and the applications of CuAAC in solid phase synthesis are described. In addition, more applications of CuAAC can be developed. Keywords: Click reaction, copper catalysis, cycloaddition, bioorthogonal chemistry, applications, detection.

Highly Potent Antibacterial Organometallic Peptide Conjugates.

Resistance of pathogenic bacteria against currently marketed antibiotics is again increasing. To meet the societal need for effective cures, scientists are faced with the challenge of developing more potent but equally bacteria-specific drugs. Currently, most efforts are directed toward the modification of existing antibiotics, but ideally, compounds with a new mode of action are required. In this Account, we detail our findings in the area of novel metal-based antibiotics. Our strategy is based on the modification of simple antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with organometallic agents, resulting in organometallic AMPs (OM-AMPs). Since bacteria have most likely never encountered these synthetically prepared unnatural organometallic agents, we anticipated that such agents could well become potentiating players in the antibiotics arena. Moreover, exploiting some of the particular properties of metal complexes should also help to elucidate the mode of action of small cationic AMPs, the molecular details of which have remained elusive despite intensive efforts. Using standard Fmoc/tBu-based solid-phase peptide synthesis approaches, we have prepared various organometallic-peptide conjugates with covalently linked group 8 and 9 metallocenes (ferrocene, ruthenocene, osmocene, and cobaltocenium). As a starting point we took the (RW)3 antibacterial hexapeptide lead structure. After modifying the peptide sequence (generations 1 and 2), changing the nature and position of the organometallic group (generation 3), and optimizing the amino acid chirality (generation 5), we identified several organometallic antibacterial peptides that are currently among the most active synthetic AMPs (synAMPs) that have ever been prepared. Through these rational and systematic optimizations, we were able to increase the antibacterial activity of a short non-organometallic synAMP 18-fold to submicromolar activity, rivaling the activity of vancomycin (often the drug of last resort) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Moreover, by making use of the unique physicochemical properties of ruthenocene, we were able to determine the mode of action of these short AMPs in unprecedented detail. We propose that the OM-AMP integrates into the bacterial membrane and changes its biophysical properties, which ultimately results in detachment of vital enzymes for respiration and cell-wall biosynthesis such as specifically cytochrome c and MurG from their locations in the membrane. Further explorations of these small OM-AMP derivatives that are summarized in this Account include lipid substitution, multivalent display of metalated di- or tripeptides on a trivalent scaffold with different linkers, and increasing the metal-to-peptide ratio such that every tryptophan in the (RW)3 scaffold is eventually replaced by a metalated lysine. While initial experiments with our OM-AMPs for systemic applications were largely disappointing, these OM-AMPs turned out to be potent antibiotics for topical applications. In this sense, two applications are described as examples in this Account, namely, bacterial decontamination of wastewater by reverse osmosis membranes (coated with our OM-AMPs by Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction) and synergistic activities of one of our synAMPs with colistin and tobramycin for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections that are associated with cystic fibrosis.

A versatile platform for precise synthesis of asymmetric molecular brush in one shot

Asymmetric molecular brushes emerge as a unique class of nanostructured polymers, while their versatile synthesis keeps a challenge for chemists. Here we show the synthesis of well-defined asymmetric molecular double-brushes comprising two different side chains linked to the same repeat unit along the backbone by one-pot concurrent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and Cu-catalyzed azide/alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. The double-brushes are based on a poly(Br-acrylate-alkyne) homopolymer possessing an alkynyl for CuAAC reaction and a 2-bromopropionate initiating group for ATRP in each repeat unit. The versatility of this one-shot approach is demonstrated by CuAAC reaction of alkynyl/poly(ethylene oxide)-N3 and ATRP of various monomers. We also show the quantitative conversion of pentafluorophenyl ester groups to amide groups in side chains, allowing for the further fabrication of diverse building blocks. This work provides a versatile platform for facile synthesis of Janus-type double-brushes with structural and functional control, in a minimum number of reactions.