Oxidation-Induced One-Pot Click Chemistry

Click chemistry has been established rapidly as one of the most valuable methods for the chemical transformation of complex molecules. Due to the rapid rates, clean conversions to the products, and compatibility of the reagents and reaction conditions even in complex settings, it has found applications in many molecule-oriented disciplines. From the vast landscape of click reactions, approaches have emerged in the past decade centered around oxidative processes to generate in situ highly reactive synthons from dormant functionalities. These approaches have led to some of the fastest click reactions know to date. Here, we review the various methods that can be used for such oxidation-induced one-pot click chemistry for the transformation of small molecules, materials, and biomolecules. A comprehensive overview is provided of oxidation conditions that induce a click reaction, and oxidation conditions are orthogonal to other click reactions so that sequential click-oxidation-click derivatization of molecules can be performed in one pot. Our review of the relevant literature shows that this strategy is emerging as a powerful approach for the preparation of high-performance materials and the generation of complex biomolecules. As such, we expect that oxidation-induced one-pot click chemistry will widen in scope substantially in the forthcoming years.

Automated summary

Click chemistry is a valuable method for chemical transformations, with oxidative processes leading to some of the fastest reactions known to date. One-pot click chemistry induced by oxidation conditions allows for sequential derivatization of molecules, offering a powerful approach for the preparation of high-performance materials and complex biomolecules, with potential for wider scope in the future.