Anaerobic conditions to reduce oxidation of proteins and to accelerate the copper-catalyzed “Click” reaction with a water-soluble bis(triazole) ligand

Oxidation of protein (bovine albumin serum) by air still occurred under the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction conditions even in the presence of a Cu(I)-stabilizing tris(triazole) ligand. Anaerobic conditions not only avoided the oxidation of the protein, but also greatly accelerated the CuAAC reaction using a water-soluble bis(triazole) Cu(I) ligand.