Sulfonyl chloride activation of hydroxylic materials

We have discovered that chromophoric sulfonyl chlorides and affinity ligand-containing sulfonyl chlorides prepared based upon fluorinated carbon skeletons are excellent activating agents for agarose. The primary basis for development of such reagents has been pentafluorobenzenesulfonyl chloride and tresyl chloride, both of which are excellent activating agents. Activation using the sulfonyl chlorides whose synthesis is described here has yielded matrices that are very reactive to nucleophilic displacement by amines and thiols and, thus, should be excellent agents for the immobilization of affinity ligands, enzymes, cells, etc. The resulting material is based on covalent coupling and, thus, is more stable than affinity ligands or enzymes immobilized by other methods.