Role of linkers in tertiary amines that mediate or catalyze 1,3,5-triazine-based amide-forming reactions

We studied 1,3,5-triazine-based amide-forming reactions that are mediated or catalyzed by various tert-amines. The representative tert-amine was trimethylamine, which has amido, 1,2,3-triazolyl, aryl, and alkyl linkers. It was found that electron-deficient aryl and heteroaryl linkers, particularly 1,2,3-triazolyl linkers, are superior. On the basis of our findings, we synthesized ligand catalysts, including a 1,2,3-triazolyl linker that connects a protein ligand to a trimethylamine moiety, and found that fluorescent-labeling of a targeting protein using the ligand catalysts proceeded in good yields.