Copper foam as a catalyst for azide–alkyne cycloaddition of organosilicon molecules†

Copper foam in its unmodified form was found to be an effective catalyst for the azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The conditions for carrying out the process were selected, the possibility of reusing the catalyst was demonstrated, and a comparative microscopic study of the surface of foamed copper before and after recycles was carried out. A simple synthetic approach has been developed for obtaining PDMS with terminal acetylene groups via the siloxane ring opening mechanism, including the synthesis of a wide range of organosilicon molecules and polymers using the new CuAAC catalyst. The highest catalytic activity of this form of copper is shown in comparison with other published types of catalysts based on pure copper.