Science of Synthesis

Zhang, C.; Page, K. M.; van Hest, J. C. M., Science of Synthesis: Click Chemistry, (2021) 1, 283.

In this chapter, CuAAC click reaction applications in macromolecular synthesis and polymer functionalization have been described for a wide variety of purposes: bioconjugation, nanocatalysis, and surface modification. The specific features of CuAAC facilitate the synthesis of complex molecular structures and allow the conjugation of molecular species of different origin. CuAAC click chemistry therefore enables the facile integration of synthetic molecules with natural components and makes particle and surface functionalization possible, for example, with bioactive components. In applications in the biomedical field, one of the downsides of using CuAAC is the potential toxicity of copper, which often requires postpurification treatments. Catalytically more active and stable systems have been developed to partially overcome this limitation. The combination of CuAAC with other techniques can contribute not only to the improvement of sustainable chemistry technologies but also to a practical implementation in the field of nanomedicine.