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Click chemistry connections for functional discovery

Nature Synthesis volume 1, pages 8–10 (2022)Cite this article

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The organizing principles of click chemistry help scientists make molecules for a variety of applications. Such democratization of synthesis is challenging and rewarding, as useful simplicity is difficult to achieve. We reflect on this and look forward, hoping to continue to tie the joy of functional discovery to the challenges of synthetic chemistry.

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Fig. 1: Triazole and sulfur(VI) connectors emblematic of click chemistry.

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Acknowledgements

We dedicate this article to the late Richard A. Lerner, who made click chemistry possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    M. G. Finn

  2. Neuroscience Biomarkers and Janssen R&D Global Imaging, Johnson & Johnson, San Diego, CA, USA

    Hartmuth C. Kolb

  3. Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA

    K. Barry Sharpless

Authors
  1. M. G. Finn
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  2. Hartmuth C. Kolb
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  3. K. Barry Sharpless
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Correspondence to K. Barry Sharpless.

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Finn, M.G., Kolb, H.C. & Sharpless, K.B. Click chemistry connections for functional discovery. Nat Synth 1, 8–10 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-021-00017-w

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