An Ionic Liquid Medium Enables Development of a Phosphine-Mediated Amine-Azide Bioconjugation Method

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Aug 25;143(33):12974-12979. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c06092. Epub 2021 Aug 13.

Abstract

While a diverse set of design strategies have produced various chemical tools for biomolecule labeling in aqueous media, the development of nonaqueous, biomolecule-compatible media for bioconjugation has significantly lagged behind. In this report, we demonstrate that an aprotic ionic liquid serves as a novel reaction solvent for protein bioconjugation without noticeable loss of the biomolecule functions. The ionic liquid bioconjugation approach led to discovery of a novel triphenylphosphine-mediated amine-azide coupling reaction that forges a stable tetrazene linkage on unprotected peptides and proteins. This strategy of using untraditional media would provide untapped opportunities for expanding the scope of chemical approaches for bioconjugation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't