Click chemistry has
been established rapidly as one of the most
valuable methods for the chemical transformation of complex molecules.
Due to the rapid rates, clean conversions to the products, and compatibility
of the reagents and reaction conditions even in complex settings,
it has found applications in many molecule-oriented disciplines. From
the vast landscape of click reactions, approaches have emerged in
the past decade centered around oxidative processes to generate in
situ highly reactive synthons from dormant functionalities. These
approaches have led to some of the fastest click reactions know to
date. Here, we review the various methods that can be used for such
oxidation-induced “one-pot” click chemistry for the
transformation of small molecules, materials, and biomolecules. A
comprehensive overview is provided of oxidation conditions that induce
a click reaction, and oxidation conditions are orthogonal to other
click reactions so that sequential “click-oxidation-click”
derivatization of molecules can be performed in one pot. Our review
of the relevant literature shows that this strategy is emerging as
a powerful approach for the preparation of high-performance materials
and the generation of complex biomolecules. As such, we expect that
oxidation-induced “one-pot” click chemistry will widen
in scope substantially in the forthcoming years.