Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Bioorthogonal Cycloaddition Reactions

In recent years, bioorthogonal reactions have emerged as a powerful toolbox for specific labeling and visualization of biomolecules, even within the highly complex and fragile living systems. Among them, copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is one of the most widely studied and used biocompatible reactions. The cytotoxicity of Cu(I) ions has been greatly reduced due to the use of Cu(I) ligands, which enabled the CuAAC reaction to proceed on the cell surface, as well as within an intracellular environment. Meanwhile, other transition metals such as ruthenium, rhodium and silver are now under development as alternative sources for catalyzing bioorthogonal cycloadditions. In this review, we summarize the development of CuAAC reaction as a prominent bioorthogonal reaction, discuss various ligands used in reducing Cu(I) toxicity while promoting the reaction rate, and illustrate some of its important biological applications. The development of additional transition metals in catalyzing cycloaddition reactions will also be briefly introduced.