Cross-linkers Containing Photoreactive Diazirine Group

Diazirine changes to a high-reactive carbene by absorbing light near 360 nm, which forms a covalent bond to a nearby molecule. The covalent bond is more stable than one formed by nitrene derived from a photoreactive azide.
Phenyldiazirine derivatives 1–3 have a functional group at the para position. For example, after the functional group attaches to a ligand, the diazirine group reacts with the acceptor molecule under photoexcitation. It has been reported in research of the photoaffinity labelings which include the crosslinker with peptides or sugars,²⁾ and the photoaffinity microarrays.³⁾