The dibenzocyclooctyne group (DBCO) allows copper-free click chemistry to be done with live cells, whole organisms, and non-living samples. DBCO groups will preferentially and spontaneously label molecules containing azide groups (–N3).
Within physiological temperature and pH ranges, the DBCO group does not react with amines or hydroxyls, which are naturally present in many biomolecules. Reaction of the DBCO group with the azide group is significantly faster than with the sulfhydryl group (–SH, thiol).
