Polarity effect on fluorescence of styryl derivatives of quinolizinium salts in micellar media

The styryl derivatives of quinolizinium salts show a marked solvatochromic effect. The p-amino and p-hydroxy derivatives exhibited the greatest effect. The fluorescent intensity of the salts dissolved in nine different solvents is shown to be related to their polarity parameters. The emission was highest for hydroxylic solvents. For all solvents the changes in the fluorescence of the styryl derivatives in the presence of various surfactants is also studied; a great increase in intensity was produced in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate. This enhanced emission was not observed for non-ionic surfactants. This behaviour is discussed ansd also related to solvent polarity.     

N-aryl-9-amino-substituted acridizinium derivatives as fluorescent "light-up" probes for DNA and protein detection

[reaction: see text] N-Arylamino-substituted acridizinium (benzo[b]quinolizinium) derivatives are almost nonfluorescent in water or organic solvents; however, upon addition of calf thymus DNA or bovine serum albumin the fluorescence intensity increases by a factor of 10 to 50. Thus, these dyes exhibit ideal properties to be used as DNA- and protein-sensitive "light-up probes".     

The influence of solvent polarity and viscosity on fluorescence of quinolizinium salts

The effects of dielectric constant, viscosity and polarity of the solvents used on the relative fluorescent emission of 2,3-diphenylquinolizinium bromide and 2(p-dimethyl-amino)styryl-3-methylquinolizinium bromide are described. These salts were entirely dissolved in ten different solvents. The 2(p-dimethylamino)styryl derivative produced different ionic species, and was a fluorescent acid-base indicator. The fluorescence of these quinolizinium salts is shown to increase with greater viscosity of the medium.     

Quinolizinium salts as fluorescent probes for N-nucleophiles

Quinolizinium salts are effective fluorescent reagents for the detection of amines. A series of carbamylquinolizinium salts was synthesized to take advantage of the influence of the carbamyl group on the fluorescence of the heterocyclic aromatic system. The native fluorescence of carbamylquinolizinium derivatives is described. The polycyclic compounds exhibit intense fluorescence which can be measured for 10^?10?10^?11 M solutions. With the diphenyl derivatives, it is not possible to establish correlations between the Hammett parameters from different substituents and the fluorescence emission. The fluorescence of reaction products with piperidine is described; the emission intensity observed is highest for the polycyclic quinolizinium derivatives, which can be considered as the most appropriate for the detection of amines.     

Synthesis of short and long-wavelength functionalised probes: amino acids' labelling and photophysical studies

Fluorescent labelling of α-amino acids at their N or C terminals in the main and lateral chains at short and long wavelengths was carried out in different ways. The N-[3-(naphthalen-1-ylamino)propanoyl]amino acid methyl esters synthesised showed strong fluorescence in the visible region (∼415 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum. Condensation of these compounds with 5-diethylamino-2-nitrosophenol or 5-ethylamino-4-methyl-2-nitrosophenol produced the benzo[a]phenoxazine derivatives, with maximum emission wavelengths shifted to values higher than 644 nm. The synthesis of novel functionalised 5,9-diaminobenzo[a]phenoxazinium salts, by reaction of 5-ethylamino-4-methyl-2-nitrosophenol and N-substituted 1-naphthylamine and their use in the covalent labelling of the N or C terminals of valine, produced derivatives with long-wavelength emissions (644-653 nm). Photophysical studies using the synthesised compounds both in different solvents and in controlled pH were undertaken. Preliminary evaluation of photostability of the cationic polycyclic heterocycles in ethanol and water at physiological pH was also performed.     

Fluorescence derivatisation of amino acids in short and long-wavelengths

3-(Naphthalen-1-ylamino)propanoic acid was coupled to the amino group of the main and lateral chains of various amino acids in order to evaluate its applicability as a fluorescent derivatising reagent. The resulting amino acid derivatives are strongly fluorescent with a maximum emission of about 415 nm. Condensation of these derivatives with 5-ethylamino-4-methyl-2-nitrosophenol hydrochloride resulted in the corresponding blue benzo[a]phenoxazinium conjugates, also revealing strong fluorescence in ethanol and water at physiological pH and good quantum yields, but with emission wavelengths between 644 and 657 nm, which was preferable in biological assays.     

Study of the lumiescence properties of a new series of quinolizinium salts and their interaction with DNA

The spectrofluorimetric characteristic of a new group of benzo- and methyl- quinolizinium salts at room temperature and 77 LK are reported. At room temperature, linear calibration is wide; 10^-9 M 9-cyanobenzo [a] phenathro [9,10-g] quinolizinium chloride can be detected in methanolic solution and 10^-7 M in aqueous solution. The polynuclear compounds show the most intense luminescence bands, and a significant hypsochromic shift of the fluorenscence emission maximum was observed at 77 K compared with room temperature. For the 2,3-diphenyl derivatives, the presence of a methoxy substituent produces a marked Stoke's shift, because it causes a decrease in the planarity of the molecule. The benzo compounds are similar in structure to the alkaloid coralyne, which has significant antileuikemic activity. The fused planar aromatic compounds are shown to bind with DNA.     

Multiple fluorescence color transitions mediated by anion-π interactions and C-F covalent bond formation

The emission changes of fluorescent dyes under the influence of environmental changes or interaction with analytes are the basis for designing ratiometric fluorescent probes and logic gates. However, it is rare that only one external stimulus induces continuous fluorescent color changes in a fluorescent dye. In this paper, we report a cage-like molecule formed by two benzene rings and three imidazolium salts which produces continuous fluorescence wavelength changes when interacted with fluoride ions. Fluoride ions are first bound to the center of the cage under the action of anion-π interaction, and the (C?H)⁺···F^– type ionic hydrogen bonds induce the blue-shift of fluorescence. The subsequent formation of C-F covalent bonds with fluoride ions makes the fluorophore wavelength continue to blue-shift, and finally obtains continuous multiple fluorescence changes caused by a single external stimulus. According to the fluorescence wavelength and intensity, six different fluorescence signal channels can be obtained, which can be encoded as six numbers from 0 to 5. We expect that this reaction process can find applications in quantitative anion recognition and molecular counters.     

Synthesis and reaction of methylbenzo[a]quinolizinium salts

All isomers of (monomethyl)benzo[a]quinolizinium salts including five new monomethyl derivatives were prepared by photocyclization, sulfur extrusion, or cyclodehydration reaction, and their aldol-type condensation was examined. The 2- and 4-methyl derivatives 3b and 3c reacted with p-methoxybenzaldehyde in the presence of piperidine to yield trans-(p-methoxystyryl)benzo[a]quinolizinium salts 11 . The other methyl derivatives did not react with the aldehyde. The methyl group was reactive at the 2- and 4-positions, located para and ortho to the azonia ring nitrogen, respectively; however, it was unreactive at the 6-position located at another ortho position.     

Development of selective,visible light-excitable,fluorescent magnesium ion probes with a novel fluorescence switching mechanism

Novel fluorescent Mg2+ probes, 2'-carboxyfluorescein (2'-CF) and its derivatives, that are excitable by visible light, were designed, synthesized and characterized. After complexation with Mg2+, the absorption and emission maxima of these fluorescent probes were red-shifted and the fluorescence intensity was increased 11-fold at neutral pH. The apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of the Mg2+-2'-CF complex was 15.8 mM at neutral pH. The Kd of the Ca2+-2'-CF complex was about 10 times larger than that of the Mg2+ complex and the other derivatives showed similar characteristics. In contrast, all the commercially available fluorescent Mg2+ probes have a higher affinity for Ca2+ than Mg2+. 2'-CF fluoresced in alkaline solution (pH > 8) and the pK, value was 8.8. The pKa value of the Mg2+-2'-CF complex was 6.8, and the fluorescence intensity was increased in the neutral conditions. Thus, the addition of Mg2+ resulted in a lowering of the pKa, and also an increase of the fluorescence intensity.     

Two 1,8-naphthalimide-based proton-receptor fluorescent probes for pH determination

Two newly synthesised 1,8-naphthalimide-based proton-receptor fluorescent probes N-allyl-4-(4’-N,N-diethylpropionamide-acetamido-piperazinyl)-1,8-naphthalimide I and N-(N,N-dibenzylpro- pionamide-acetamido)-4-allyl-1-piperazinyl-1,8-naphthalimide II were synthesised to monitor the change in pH in such a way that the presence of protons can increase the fluorescence intensity of these compounds. Unlike most of the other pH-sensitive probes reported, the probes possess the obvious advantage of being able to detect stronger acids at pH ≈ 2 and a combination of the two probes could detect a wider pH scale from 1.98 to 6.59; this should be very useful for monitoring the pH of the environment.     

Synthesis and reactions of methylbenzo[c]quinolizinium salts

Six isomers of the methylbenzo[c]quinolizinium salt 3 including four new monomethyl derivatives were synthesized by thermal-intramolecular quaternization of the cis-methyl-substituted 2-[2-(2-chlorophenyl)-vinyl]pyridines 4 or by the irradiation of trans- 4 with selected wavelengths (290 < λ < 340 nm and λ > 400 nm) in acetonitrile. Among the regioisomeric monomethyl derivatives 3 , the 1-, 3-, and 6-methyl derivatives 3b, 3d , and 3g reacted with p-methoxybenzaldehyde in the presence of bis(l-piperidino)-(p-methoxyphenyl)-methane 7 to yield trans-(p-methoxystyryl)benzo[c]quinolizinium salts 6 . The reactivity of 3 and methylbenzo[a]quinolizinium salts 1 was discussed on the basis of their π-electron energy.     

Fluorescent derivatives of nucleosides

Fluorescence spectra of formycin anhydronucleosides 5,6,8 and of N-dimethylaminomethylene ribonucleosides 1b, 2, 3a-3c and 4 in aqueous solution at 5-7 × 10^?5 M are reported. Compounds 5 and 6 exhibit a very strong fluorescence emission, ca. 4 and 2 times more intense than that of formycin ( 1a ) accompanied by a bathochromic shift of the emission maximum. Anhydronucleoside 8 also has an increased fluorescence intensity over the parent nucleoside 7 . The level of fluorescence emission is lower in 7 and 8 than in 1a , 5 or 6 . Introduction of N-dimethylaminomethylene group into 1a (compound 1b ) caused a decrease in the fluorescence intensity relative to 1a but a bathochromic shift of the emission maximum. In other instances (compounds 2, 3a-3c, 4 ) the introduction of N-dimethylaminomethylene group led also to fluorescent derivatives. This effect is most pronounced with 2 , whereas the fluorescence intensity of the rest of the group ( 3a-3c and 4 ) is much lower. Compounds 3c and 4 exhibit, however, a profound bathochromic shift in the fluorescence emission maximum relative to 2, 3a or 3b . A possible relationship of the fluorescence emission to the base conformation in formycin and potential use of N-dimethylaminomethylene nucleoside and nucleotide derivatives as fluorescent probes are discussed. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 14 , 135 (1977).     

Characterization of 2-phenylbenzo[g]quinoxaline derivatives as viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probes

To develop viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probes, five different substituted 2-phenylbenzo[g]quinoxaline derivatives (3a-e) were designed and synthesized by using benzo[g]quinoxaline as a fluorophore and phenyl ring bearing a rotatable single bond as a viscosity-sensitive unit. The fluorescence properties of these compounds were investigated in the media of the ethylene glycol-glycerol mixture with varied viscosity. It is found that 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzo[g]quinoxaline (3d) and 2-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-benzo[g]quinoxaline (3e) carrying stronger electron-donating groups in the phenyl ring show more sensitive fluorescence response to viscosity, revealing their potential use in viscosity detection and the key role of the substituted groups. The effects of solvent polarity and pH on the fluorescent properties of 3d and 3e were also discussed. The present study might be useful in developing viscosity-sensitive fluorescent probes.     

Micellization of bile salts in aqueous medium: a fluorescence study

Owing to the physiological importance of the micellization process of bile salts, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) becomes a fundamental parameter in the evaluation of their biological activities. The present study suggests fluorescence probing, using 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH), as a simple, convenient, sensitive and economic method for monitoring the micellization process of bile salts in aqueous medium. Three independent parameters: fluorescence intensity, anisotropy and lifetime of DPH have been employed successfully for determining the CMC of two bile salts, sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) and sodium cholate (NaC), in aqueous medium. The CMC values reported by all the above three parameters of DPH are found to be same and it is 16 mM for NaC and 6 mM for NaDC at 25 degrees C in unbuffered solution. The effect of temperature and ionic strength on the micellization process has also been investigated employing DPH as a fluorescent probe. Increasing temperature leads to the formation of fluffier micelles with less rigid interior for both NaC and NaDC. The micelle core of NaC is less perturbed by the presence of NaCl whereas in case of NaDC, the aggregates provide DPH a more nonpolar and rigid environment in presence of NaCl than that in absence of salt.     

A series of simple curcumin-derived colorimetric and fluorescent probes for ratiometric-pH sensing and cell imaging

Colorimetric and fluorescent probes have emerged as a potent tool for pH sensing due to easy operation and high sensitivity. However, most of the existing bimodal probes require complicated synthesis,which greatly limits their wide applications. Herein, a simple fluorescent dye（called BFCUR） featuring a D-π-A-π-D conjugated system was developed from the natural polyphenol curcumin（CUR）. BFCUR exhibited significant red-shift in UV absorption and fluorescence emission as pH increased because of th...     

Fluorimetric detection of Mg2+ and DNA with 9-(alkoxyphenyl)benzo[b]quinolizinium derivatives

A benzo[b]quinolizinium-benzo-15-crown-5 ether conjugate 2a is presented that enables the fluorimetric detection of Mg(2+) and DNA by a significant light-up effect, along with a change of the emission wavelength with different analytes (Mg(2+): 495 nm; DNA: 550 nm). The mechanism of the excited-state deactivation of 2a was investigated by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy in media of varied viscosity and compared with the photophysical properties of methoxyphenyl-substituted benzo[b]quinolizinium 2b (m,p-diOMe), 2c (m-OMe), and 2d (p-OMe) as reference compounds. Compounds 2a-c, which share the m-alkoxyphenyl substituent as the common feature, have low emission quantum yields (Φ(F) < 10(-2) in water) but exhibit a significant increase of their fluorescence intensity in viscous glycerol solutions. In contrast, the viscosity of the medium does not influence the emission properties of the parent phenyl-substituted benzo[b]quinolizinium 2e and of the p-methoxyphenyl-substituted derivative 2d. Based on these observations it is concluded that the excited-state deactivation in 2a-c is mainly due to the rotation of the m-alkoxy group about the C(ar)-O bond. The interaction of 2a-c with DNA or Mg(2+) ions was studied by spectrophotometric titrations and CD spectroscopy. Notably, the association of 2a or 2b with DNA or 2a with Mg(2+) ions induces a strong fluorescence enhancement (15- and 40-fold for DNA, 450-fold for Mg(2+)), which is rationalized by the suppression of the torsional-relaxation of the alkoxy-substituent in the excited state. Additionally, the cation-induced light-up effect of 2a is selective towards Mg(2+) ions as compared with other cations such as NH(4)(+), Li(+), Na(+), K(+) and Ba(2+).     

Synthesis, luminescence properties, and theoretical insights of N-alkyl- or N,N-dialkyl-pyrene-1-carboxamide

We report the synthesis and photophysical properties of N-alkyl- or N,N-dialkyl-pyrene-1-carboxamide. These derivatives, as well as pyrene, exhibited blue emission. N-Alkyl-type derivatives exhibited strong fluorescence emission (Φ_fl = 0.61 in EtOH) in both nonpolar and polar solvents. On the other hand, N,N-dialkyl-type derivatives showed weak fluorescence emission (Φ_fl <0.01) due to vibrational deactivation. However, in highly viscous solvents such as glycerin, the quantum efficiencies of N-alkyl-type (Φ_fl = 0.91) and N,N-dialkyl-type (Φ_fl = 0.082) derivatives were increased. We also investigated the fluorescence mechanism of these compounds using time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT). From these results, we find that highly fluorescent pyrene-1-carboxamide derivatives can be designed by introducing an appropriate functional group at the nitrogen atom of the amide. Thus, N,N-dialkyl-type pyrene-1-carboxamide has considerable potential for use in applications such as environmental response sensors and probes.     

氨基苯基类中氮茚化合物的合成及作为质子探针的研究

设计合成了3个氨基苯基类中氮茚化合物, 研究了其在不同pH值的缓冲溶液中的荧光强度变化. 结果表明, 在pH=2.1～4.2之间, 该类化合物具有荧光敏感性. 化合物3a和3b可以作为良好的质子控制的荧光开关器件信号分子.