Click to bind: metal sensors
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Updated: May 12, 2026

The Bionic Clicker Mark I & II
Published on: August 14, 2017
Jonathan J Bryant1, Uwe H F Bunz
1Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. jonnyjbryant@gmail.com
Abstract:
The copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne "click" cycloaddition reaction is an efficient coupling reaction that results in the formation of a triazole ring. The wide range of applicable substrates for this reaction allows the construction of a variety of conjugated systems. The additional function of triazoles as metal-ion ligands has led to the click reaction being used for the construction of optical sensors for metal ions. The triazoles are integral binding elements, which are formed in an efficient modular synthesis. Herein, we review recent examples of triazoles as a metal-binding element in conjugated metal-ion sensors.
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