Topic: click chemistry

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Frances Briggs reflect on 25 years of click chemistry and its spread into medicine and materials research. A second discussion examines covalent bonding in actinide elements and the experimental challenges of understanding how the heaviest atoms share electrons.

Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless explain the development of reliable reactions for connecting molecular components and the extension of those reactions into biological systems. Meldal and Sharpless describe the ideas and discoveries behind click chemistry, including efficient azide–alkyne coupling, and its use as a practical strategy for building functional molecules. Bertozzi addresses the additional challenge of performing chemical reactions in living systems without disrupting their normal processes. Her account connects the study and labelling of cell-surface glycans wit