Work

Encapsulating NHC–capped copper( i ) complexes inside cyclodextrin for catalysis in living cells

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: with more accessible first-row metals is of great interest and could significantly increase the catalogue of reactions applicable in these complex environments. Herein, we demonstrate that encapsulating copper(i) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts inside the cavity of modified cyclodextrins, renders these notoriously toxic complexes harmless towards CT26 cells at high concentrations. Nevertheless, the catalytic activity of cyclodextrin (CD)-encapsulated NHC-copper complexes is preserved, allowing the deprotection of pinacol boronate ester groups outside and inside living cells to release phenol-based fluorophores. In cells, the production of fluorophore in the presence of CD-NHC-copper catalysts outperforms that induced by the cellular machinery alone and endogeneous ROS.

Source: Chemical Science

DOI: 10.1039/d5sc04711k