"Clickable" agarose for affinity chromatography.

Successful purification of biological molecules by affinity chromatography requires the attachment of desired ligands to biocompatible chromatographic supports. The Cu(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes-the premier example of "click chemistry"-is an efficient way to make covalent connections among diverse molecules and materials. Both azide and alkyne units are highly selective in their reactivity, being inert to most chemical functionalities and stable to wide ranges of solvent, temperature, and pH. We show that agarose beads bearing alkyne and azide groups can be easily made and are practical precursors to functionalized agarose materials for affinity chromatography.