Click reactions and boronic acids: applications, issues, and potential solutions

Cysteine-Selective Installation of Functionally Diverse Boronic Acid Probes on Peptides

The current methods for direct late-stage and residue-selective installation of a versatile boronic acid (BA) repertoire on peptides are inadequate for a wide range of applications. Here, we show the suitability and efficiency of thiol-ene radical click chemistry to install functionally versatile BA derivatives on numerous bioactive, native peptides. Our work highlights that the methodology is operationally simple and adaptable for applications with BA-modified peptides, such as cyclization, conjugation, and functional group alteration.

Non-Enzymatic Phenylboronic Acid-Based Optode Membrane for Glucose Monitoring in Serums of Diabetic Patients and in the Culture Medium of Human Embryos

Monitoring glucose levels is important not only for diabetics, but also for tracking embryonic development in human embryo culture media. In this study, an optochemical sensor (glucose-selective polymer membrane) was fabricated for the determination of glucose in serum from diabetic patients and the culture media of human embryos. The optode membranes were formulated using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the polymer matrix and 4',5'-dibromofluorescein octadecyl ester (ETH 7075) as the chromoionophore. The sensitivity of the optode membranes was optimized using two different plasticizers (tricresyl phosphate-TCP and nitrophenyloctyl ether-NOPE) and three ionophores (nitrophenylboronic acid-NPBA, trifluorophenyboronic acid-TFPBA, 4'-nitrobenzo-15-crown-5) and tested for glucose detection. The best optode membrane was formulated from 49.5% PVC, 49.5% TCP, 1% NPBA, and 1% ETH 7075. It showed a linear dynamic range of 10^-3 M to 10^-1 M, with a detection limit of 9 × 10^-4 M and a response time of 2 min. The detection mechanism involves H-bonding between NPBA and glucose, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The reaction also involves the formation of boronate esters in basic media with deprotonation of the chromoionophore (ETH 7075), leading to a decrease in UV-Vis absorbance at λmax = 530 nm. The membrane optode was used for glucose determination in synthetic culture medium, commercial embryo culture medium (GLOBAL^® TOTAL^® W/HEPES), and serum from normal and diabetic patients, showing good accuracy and precision of the optode.

Contribution of the "Click Chemistry" Toolbox for the Design, Synthesis, and Resulting Applications of Innovative and Efficient Separative Supports: Time for Assessment

The last two decades have seen the rapid expansion of click chemistry methodology in various domains closely related to organic chemistry. It has notably been widely developed in the area of surface chemistry, mainly because of the high-yielding character of reactions of the "click" type. Especially, this powerful chemical reaction toolbox has been adapted to the preparation of stationary phases from the corresponding chromatographic supports. A plethora of selectors can thus be immobilized on either organic, inorganic, or hybrid stationary phases that can be used in different chromatographic modes. This review first highlights the few different chemical ligation strategies of the "click" type that are up to now mainly devoted to the development of functionalized supports for separation sciences. Then, it gives in a second part an up-to-date survey of the different studies dedicated to the preparation of click chemistry-based chromatographic supports while highlighting the powerful and versatile character of the "click" ligation strategy for the design, synthesis, and developments of more and more complex systems that can find promising applications in the area of analytical sciences, in domains as varied as enantioselective separation, glycomics, proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, etc.

Applications of the Reversible Boronic Acids/Boronate Switch to Nucleic Acids

Over the last decades, boron and nucleic acids chemistries have gained a lot of attention for biological, medicinal and analytical applications. Our laboratory has a long-standing interest in both chemistries and owing to the ability of boronic acids to react with cis-diol function in aqueous media we developed over the years a variety of applications ranging from molecular recognition and sensing to the development of reversible dynamic systems in which the natural phosphodiester linkage was replaced by a boronate. In this account, we summarize research results from our group from our preliminary studies on molecular recognition of ribonucleosides to the dynamic assembly of functional DNAzymes. In particular, the various parameters influencing the dynamic nature of these reversible covalent bonds able to respond to external stimuli are discussed. Finally, current challenges and opportunities for boron-based nucleic acids are also addressed.

Glucose selective bis-boronic acid click-fluor

Four novel bis-boronic acid compounds were synthesised via copper catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. Glucose selectivity was observed for a particular structural motif. Moreover, a new glucose selective fluorescent sensor was designed and synthesised as a result.

Vinylboronic Acids as Fast Reacting, Synthetically Accessible, and Stable Bioorthogonal Reactants in the Carboni-Lindsey Reaction

Bioorthogonal reactions are widely used for the chemical modification of biomolecules. The application of vinylboronic acids (VBAs) as non‐strained, synthetically accessible and water‐soluble reaction partners in a bioorthogonal inverse electron‐demand Diels–Alder (iEDDA) reaction with 3,6‐dipyridyl‐s‐tetrazines is described. Depending on the substituents, VBA derivatives give second‐order rate constants up to 27 m⁻¹ s⁻¹ in aqueous environments at room temperature, which is suitable for biological labeling applications. The VBAs are shown to be biocompatible, non‐toxic, and highly stable in aqueous media and cell lysate. Furthermore, VBAs can be used orthogonally to the strain‐promoted alkyne–azide cycloaddition for protein modification, making them attractive complements to the bioorthogonal molecular toolbox.

“Click-fluors”: triazole-linked saccharide sensors

A series of boronic acid-containing saccharide receptors was synthesised via copper catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions.

Preparation of reactive fibre interfaces using multifunctional cellulose derivatives

Cellulose fibres have poor reactivity and limited potential for surface engineering with advanced chemical functionalization in water. In this work, cellulose fibres were decorated with azide functions by charge-directed self-assembly of a novel water-soluble multifunctional cellulose derivative yielding reactive fibres. Propargylamine and 1-ethynylpyrene were utilized as a proof of concept that alkyne molecules may react with the azide functions of the reactive fibres via copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition (CuAAc) reaction in mild conditions. Chemical characterization of the fibres was carried out using classical techniques such as Raman-, fluorescence-, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Among other techniques, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), X-ray spectroscopy (XPS), two-photon microscopy (TPM), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were useful tools for additional characterization of the fibres decorated with amino- or photoactive groups. The information gathered in this work might contribute to the basis for the preparation of reactive cellulose-based interfaces with potential application in CuAAc reactions.

Estimation of Dipole Moments and Quantum Yield of 5-chloro-2-methoxyphenyl Boronic Acid in Different Solvents Environment

The Photophysical properties like ground state and excited state dipole moments, change in the dipole moment and fluorescence quantum yield of a boronic acid derivative 5-chloro-2-methoxy phenyl boronic acid (5CMPBA) are characterized. The study is carried out in various solvents at room temperature using absorption and steady-state fluorescence technique. The emission wavelength of 5CMPBA is quite sensitive to the polarity of solvents. With the increase in solvent polarity red shift or bathochromic shift of about 9 nm has been observed. The excited state and ground state dipole moments are estimated using solvatochromic shift method and effect of solvents on spectral properties of the molecule are investigated using Kamlet-Taft multiple linear regression approach. The changes in dipole moment (Δμ) are calculated both from solvatochromic shift method and microscopic solvent polarity parameter (E T (N) ), and the values are compared. The ground state dipole moment is also evaluated using quantum chemical calculations. The bathochromic shift of the emission spectra and the increase in the excited state dipole moment indicates π → π* transitions as well as the possibility of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character in the emitting singlet state of 5CMPBA. The relative quantum yield (Φ), radiative and non-radiative decay constants are calculated using single point method. It is found that the quantum yield of the molecule varies from 11 to 64% with the change in the solvent polarity indicating the dependency of fluorescence nature on the solvent environment.

Fluorescence characteristics of aryl boronic acid derivate (PBA)

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of newly synthesized aryl boronic acid derivative namely Phenyl boronic acid (PBA) have been recorded in various solvents of different polarities. The ground state dipole moment of PBA was obtained from quantum chemical calculations. Solvatochromic correlations were used to estimate the ground state (μg) and excited state (μe) dipole moments. The excited state dipole moments are observed to be greater than the ground state dipole moments. Further, the ground and excited state dipole moments are not parallel but subtend by an angle of 70°. The changes in dipole moment (Δμ) were calculated both from solvatochromic shift method and microscopic solvent polarity parameter (ET(N)), and the values are compared. Solvent effects on the absorption and fluorescence spectra were quantified using Reichardt's and bulk solvent polarity parameters were complemented by the results of the Kamlet-Taft treatment.

Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazol-1-yl-methaneboronic acids via click chemistry: an easy access to a new potential scaffold for protease inhibitors

Stereoselective synthesis of previously unreported 1,2,3-triazol-1-yl-methaneboronic acids has been achieved from azidomethaneboronates by Copper-catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC). The proximity of the cycloaddition reaction center to the boronic group is not detrimental for the stability of the sp³-carbon-boron bond nor to the stereoisomeric composition, further expanding the field of application of click chemistry to new boronate substrates and offering a new potential scaffold for protease inhibitors.

The development of boronic acids as sensors and separation tools

Synthetic receptors for diols that incorporate boronic acid motifs have been developed as new sensors and separation tools. Utilizing the reversible interactions of diols with boronic acids to form boronic esters under new binding regimes has provided new hydrogel constructs that have found use as dye-displacement sensors and electrophoretic separation tools; similarly, molecular boronic-acid-containing chemosensors were constructed that offer applications in the sensing of diols. This review provides a somewhat-personal perspective of developments in boronic-acid-mediated sensing and separation, placed in the context of the seminal works of others in the area, as well as offering a concise summary of the contributions of the co-authors in the area.

Solid-state 11B and 13C NMR, IR, and X-ray crystallographic characterization of selected arylboronic acids and their catechol cyclic esters

Nine arylboronic acids, seven arylboronic catechol cyclic esters, and two trimeric arylboronic anhydrides (boroxines) are investigated using (11)B solid-state NMR spectroscopy at three different magnetic field strengths (9.4, 11.7, and 21.1 T). Through the analysis of spectra of static and magic-angle spinning samples, the (11)B electric field gradient and chemical shift tensors are determined. The effects of relaxation anisotropy and nutation field strength on the (11)B NMR line shapes are investigated. Infrared spectroscopy was also used to help identify peaks in the NMR spectra as being due to the anhydride form in some of the arylboronic acid samples. Seven new X-ray crystallographic structures are reported. Calculations of the (11)B NMR parameters are performed using cluster model and periodic gauge-including projector-augmented wave (GIPAW) density functional theory (DFT) approaches, and the results are compared with the experimental values. Carbon-13 solid-state NMR experiments and spectral simulations are applied to determine the chemical shifts of the ipso carbons of the samples. One bond indirect (13)C-(11)B spin-spin (J) coupling constants are also measured experimentally and compared with calculated values. The (11)B/(10)B isotope effect on the (13)C chemical shift of the ipso carbons of arylboronic acids and their catechol esters, as well as residual dipolar coupling, is discussed. Overall, this combined X-ray, NMR, IR, and computational study provides valuable new insights into the relationship between NMR parameters and the structure of boronic acids and esters.