DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester | CAS 1400191-52-7

DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester is a bifunctional click chemistry reagent that combines a strain-promoted DBCO (dibenzocyclooctyne) cyclooctyne handle with an NHS ester for efficient coupling to primary amines. As a widely used reagent in copper-free strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) workflows, it enables rapid post-labeling and modular assembly of functional biomolecules, surfaces, and nanomaterials. The sulfonated NHS ester motif supports aqueous compatibility and is commonly selected for preparing DBCO-functional conjugates that can subsequently react with azide-bearing partners in labeling, imaging, and materials research.

1. Amine-Targeted Biomolecule Labeling

DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester is used to introduce DBCO onto proteins, peptides, and other amine-containing biomolecules through NHS ester reactivity toward primary amines. This labeling strategy is frequently adopted in chemical biology to generate azide-reactive probes for downstream SPAAC conjugation, including multicolor labeling schemes, affinity reagent construction, and modular assembly of complex biomolecular constructs. Because the reagent installs the cyclooctyne handle in a single step, it is commonly selected when researchers need consistent DBCO density for reliable coupling to azide-functional reporters, linkers, or targeting units.

2. Surface And Bead Functionalization

DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester is applied for functionalizing solid supports such as polymer surfaces, cultureware coatings, and affinity beads that present accessible primary amines. In these workflows, the NHS ester enables covalent attachment of the DBCO functionality to immobilized biomolecular layers or amine-derivatized materials, allowing subsequent SPAAC coupling to azide-tagged ligands, dyes, or capture elements. This approach is widely used in assay development and workflow automation, where stable surface presentation of click handles improves reproducibility and supports scalable reagent manufacturing for research-grade diagnostics and analytical platforms.

3. Nanoparticle And Polymer Conjugates

DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester is commonly employed to prepare DBCO-functional nanoparticles and polymeric carriers by coupling to amine groups on particle coatings, polymer backbones, or stabilizing ligands. Once installed, the DBCO moiety serves as a click handle for SPAAC attachment of azide-bearing imaging agents, affinity tags, or other functional components, enabling modular design of multicomponent nanomaterials. This reagent is particularly relevant for building conjugates where the click step is performed under mild, copper-free conditions, supporting compatibility with sensitive fluorophores and complex macromolecular assemblies.

4. Molecular Imaging Probe Assembly

DBCO-sulfo-NHS Ester is used in the preparation of DBCO-bearing imaging and detection reagents that are later coupled to azide-functional reporters via SPAAC. Researchers often choose this reagent when they need to pre-functionalize a targeting scaffold or carrier with DBCO, then perform a controlled final conjugation to install a fluorophore, quencher, or other azide-tagged imaging component. The NHS ester coupling provides a practical route to generate stable conjugates suitable for probe libraries, enabling systematic variation of labeling density and component composition for imaging reagent development.