title: Dinuclear copper intermediates in copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition directly observed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
abstract: The mechanism of the CuAAC reaction has been investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using a combination of the neutral reactant approach and the ion-tagging strategy. Under these conditions, for the first time, putative dinuclear copper intermediates were fished out and characterized by ESI(+)-MS/MS. New insight into the CuAAC reaction mechanisms is provided and a catalytic cycle is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche Università dell'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila (Italy).
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iacobucci
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gal
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Angelis
keywords: CuAAC reaction; click chemistry; dicopper complexes; mass spectrometry; reactive intermediates