Quentin Michaudel

Click chemistry has revolutionized modern synthesis, enabling diverse applications such as biomolecule labeling and polymer functionalization. The hallmark features of click reactions—modularity, broad applicability, exceptional chemoselectivity, and high yields with minimal purification—offer unparalleled opportunities for molecular design. However, conventional click linkers (e.g., triazoles) typically function as inert covalent bridges between molecules without providing additional functionality or improving key properties. Their inherent stability makes these linkers unsuitable for selective chemical modification under mild conditions. The advent of Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry has challenged this paradigm by introducing S(VI) linkers or hubs with inherently rich reactivity. This presentation will discuss our efforts to implement SuFEx in the synthesis of (macro)molecules with tailored properties and to develop editable linchpins for late-stage scaffold diversification. Specifically, we introduce a general and modular platform for photocatalyzed deaminative C–C cross-coupling that proceeds via 1,2-dialkyldiazenes, accessed from primary amines through SuFEx activation followed by the aza–Ramberg–Bäcklund reaction. In a complementary effort, we describe the development of bifunctional aziridines enabled by SuFExable nitrenoids, providing new entry points to synthetically versatile intermediates.