Catalytic Azide Reduction in Biological Environments

• DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201100719
• Publication Date: 2012-04-19T08:45:34Z
• Authors: Pijus K. Sasmal; Susana Carregal‐R...; Alice A. Han; Craig N. Streu; Zhijie Lin; Kazuhiko Namikawa; Samantha L. Elliott; Reinhard W. Köster; Wolfgang J. Parak; Eric Meggers
• Keywords: Danio; Reducing agent; Chemical Biology; Oxidation reduction

Abstract In the quest for identification of catalytic transformations to be used in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, we identified iron(III) meso ‐tetraarylporphines as efficient catalysts reduction aromatic azides their amines. The reaction uses thiols reducing agents tolerates water, air, other biological components. A caged fluorophore was employed demonstrate that can performed even living mammalian cells. However, vivo experiments nematodes ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) zebrafish Danio rerio revealed a limitation this method: metabolic azides.