Bluesky

Facebook

Access through your institution

Buy or subscribe

In 2001, the chemists H. C. Kolb, M. G. Finn and K. Barry Sharpless published a review1 in Angewandte Chemie that revolutionized how molecules were used in several scientific fields. The paper launched the concept of click chemistry: a class of chemical reactions that work in solution exceptionally efficiently to ‘click’ together two or more molecules in a highly specific manner and without producing any unwanted by-products. Originally conceived of as a tool for synthesizing pharmaceutical candidates, click chemistry is now widely used by biologists and engineers, and won Sharpless a share of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Access options

Access through your institution

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

$32.99 / 30 days

cancel any time

Learn more

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Learn more

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01155-x

References

- Kolb, H. C., Finn, M. G. & Sharpless, K. B. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 40, 2004–2021 (2001).

Article

Google Scholar

- Moorhouse, A. D., Homer, J. A. & Moses, J. E. Chem 9, 2063–2077 (2023).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Rostovtsev, V. V., Green, L. G., Fokin, V. V. & Sharpless, K. B. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 41, 2596–2599 (2002).

Article

Google Scholar

- Tornøe, C. W., Christensen, C. & Meldal, M. J. Org. Chem. 67, 3057–3064 (2002).

Article

Google Scholar

- Carell, T. et al. Chem. Biol. 2, 171–183 (1995).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Kolb, H. C. & Sharpless, K. B. Drug Discov. Today 8, 1128–1137 (2003).

Article

Google Scholar

- Lewis, W. G. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 41, 1053–1057 (2002).

Article

Google Scholar

- Saxon, E. & Bertozzi, C. R. Science 287, 2007–2010 (2000).

Article

Google Scholar

- Bednarek, C., Wehl, I., Jung, N., Schepers, U. & Bräse, S. Chem. Rev. 120, 4301–4354 (2020).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Chang, P. V. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 107, 1821–1826 (2010).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Srinivasan, S. et al. Clin. Cancer Res. 31, 3662–3677 (2025).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Parker, C. G. & Pratt, M. R. Cell 180, 605–632 (2020).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Wu, P. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 43, 3928–3932 (2004).

Article

Google Scholar

- Taiariol, L., Chaix, C., Farre, C. & Moreau, E. Chem. Rev. 122, 340–384 (2022).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Collman, J. P., Devaraj, N. K. & Chidsey, C. E. D. Langmuir 20, 1051–1053 (2004).

Article

Google Scholar

- Lummerstorfer, T. & Hoffmann, H. J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 3963–3966 (2004).

Article

Google Scholar

- Olanow, C. W., Standaert, D. G., Kieburtz, K., Viegas, T. X. & Moreadith, R. Mov. Disord. 35, 1055–1061 (2020).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Hu, J. et al. Small 20, 2306622 (2024).

Article

Google Scholar

- Dong, J., Krasnova, L., Finn, M. G. & Sharpless, K. B. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 53, 9430–9448 (2014).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

- Sun, S. et al. Chem 9, 2128–2143 (2023).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

Download references

Reprints and permissions

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Chemists who invented revolutionary ‘click’ reactions win Nobel

Double-click enable synthesis of chemical libraries for drug discovery

See all News & Views

Subjects

Organic chemistry

Drug discovery

Chemical biology

Materials science

Latest on:

Organic chemistry

Drug discovery

Chemical biology

Decarboxylative alkylation of alkenes

Article 29 APR 26

Carbonyl swapping converts cyclic ketones to saturated heterocycles

Article 15 APR 26

Ambiphilic cross-coupling with aryl-bismuth reagents

Article 09 APR 26

GLP-1R–GIPR–PPARα/γ/δ quintuple agonism corrects obesity and diabetes in mice

Article 29 APR 26

Genetic predictors of GLP1 receptor agonist weight loss and side effects

Article 08 APR 26

New drugs take aim at one of cancer’s deadliest mutations

News 07 APR 26

Engineering resilient food systems in a warming world

Spotlight 06 MAY 26

Are microbes the future of pollution clean-up?

Spotlight 06 MAY 26

Genome pioneer Craig Venter dies: here’s how he transformed science

News 30 APR 26

Jobs

Research Position in Biomedical Sciences – Immune Cell Biomechanics and Cancer

Research role at UC3M on immune cell biomechanics and cancer, open to PhD-level candidates and strong predoctoral profiles.

Getafe, Madrid (ES)

Neuroscience and Biomedical Science Department -Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Cancer Biology Research Program Co-Leader

The Medical Co

25 years of chemistry that simply clicks