Green light enabled Staudinger–Bertozzi ligation

Abstract

We introduce a visible light-induced Staudinger–Bertozzi ligation via photo-uncaging of a triphenylphosphine moiety with a photolabile coumarin derivative. Our action plot study examines the conversion as the function of wavelength, revealing that the uncaging process and Staudinger reaction can be triggered by green light (λ < 550 nm). We further demonstrate the applicability of our approach in materials science via endgroup modification of water soluble poly(ethylene glycol) and green light-induced patterning of a solid substrate.