aminereactive

Aminereactive is an adjective used in chemistry to describe reagents, functional groups, or surfaces that readily react with amine groups to form covalent linkages. The term covers a broad range of electrophilic partners and engineered functionalities designed to engage primary or secondary amines, whether in small molecules, proteins, or materials.

Common aminereactive functionalities include acyl chlorides and anhydrides that acylate amines to give amide bonds; isocyanates that form ureas; sulfonyl chlorides that yield sulfonamides; and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and other activated esters that transfer acyl groups to amines. Aldehydes and ketones can react with amines to form imines (Schiff bases) or, with reduction, secondary amines. Additional examples include epoxides that undergo nucleophilic ring opening by amines and certain Michael acceptors that can be attacked by amines under suitable conditions. Surface chemistries often employ aminereactive silanes, NHS-esters on polymers, or other linkers to attach amines to solid supports.

Applications of aminereactive chemistry span bioconjugation, proteomics, drug development, and materials science. In biology, amine-reactive reagents are used to label proteins or attach probes to lysine residues and N-termini. In materials, they enable crosslinking, surface modification, and the construction of functional polymers and biosensors. Considerations when using aminereactive systems include selectivity for amines, reaction conditions, moisture sensitivity, and safety concerns for reactive intermediates.

Notes: “aminereactive” is a descriptive term rather than a formal, formal class, and usage varies across the literature.