10.1021/ja105066t
The research describes a novel method for high-density orthogonal surface immobilization using photoactivated copper-free click chemistry. The purpose of this study was to develop a surface with reactive ester polymer brushes that could be functionalized with cyclopropenone-masked dibenzocyclooctynes for light-activated immobilization of azides. The researchers used catalyst-free click chemistry to achieve rapid cycloaddition of surface-bound dibenzocyclooctynes with azides under ambient conditions. The process involved the use of poly(n-hydroxysuccinimide 4-vinyl benzoate) (poly(NHS4VB)) as a surface platform, which was functionalized with cyclopropenone (1) and then irradiated with UV light to yield reactive dibenzocyclooctyne (2). This reactive intermediate could then undergo catalyst-free cycloadditions with azides to form triazole-linked conjugates. The conclusions of the study were that this surface immobilization strategy provides a general and facile platform for generating multicomponent surfaces with spatially resolved chemical functionality, which can be extended to various applications in biology, nanotechnology, and materials science.