| abstract |
The present invention relates to a method of generating at least one polydentate metal chelating affinity ligand, which method comprises the steps ofn a) providing at least one cyclic scaffold comprising a carbonyl, an adjacent sulphur and a nucleophile; b) providing at least one polydentate metal chelating affinity ligand arm, optionally in a form wherein the metal chelating functionalities are protected, on each scaffold by derivatisation of the nucleophile of said scaffolds, while retaining the cyclic structure of the scaffold; (c) ring-opening at the bond between the carbonyl and the sulphur of the derivatized scaffold by adding a reagent that adds one or more metal chelating affinity ligand arms to the scaffold; and, if required, (d) deprotecting the functionalities of the ligand arm(s) provided in step (b). nn In the most preferred embodiment of the method, steps (c) and (d) are performed simultaneously as one single step. |