In 2001, chemists K. Barry Sharpless, Hartmuth C. Kolb, and M. G. Finn introduced click chemistry, a concept in which organic molecules can be rapidly and reliably joined to form more complex structures. They recognized that many natural compounds are assembled through efficient carbon–heteroatom (C–X) bond formation, particularly with nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, and they sought to replicate this in the laboratory. ...read more read less