A rapid screening platform for catalyst discovery in azide-alkyne cycloaddition by ICP-MS/MS

We developed a rapid high-throughput screening platform using a modified ICP-MS/MS system for monovalence metal ions catalysts discovery in azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Among the ten monovalence metal ions in the first row of periodic table containing Sc⁺, Ti⁺, V⁺, Cr⁺, Mn⁺, Fe⁺, Co⁺, Ni⁺, Cu⁺, and Zn⁺, five monovalence metal ions of Sc⁺, Co⁺, Ni⁺, Cu⁺ and Zn⁺ ions show relatively stronger catalytic activities than others. The catalytic mechanism of Sc⁺, Co⁺ and Ni⁺ ions is similar to the Cu⁺ ions, but Zn⁺ ions take a different catalytic route. A yields range of 77-98% for azide-alkyne cycloaddition was achieved with Sc⁺, Co⁺, Ni⁺, Cu⁺ and Zn⁺ ions as catalyst, respectively by using a UV laser ablation reactor in 20min, notable that the yields of Co⁺ and Sc⁺ ions were even higher than the common catalyst of Cu⁺ ions. The proposed platform would be used not only for catalyst discovery in azide-alkyne cycloaddition, but also for the discovery of single atom/ion catalysts in other organic reactions.