Synthesis, Physical Properties and Cytotoxicity of Stilbene-Triazine Derivatives Containing Amino Acid Groups as Fluorescent Whitening Agents

A series of novel stilbene-triazine derivatives containing amino acid groups were synthesized and screened to evaluate their cytotoxicity. The UV absorptions of the derivatives were in the range of 240–450 nm. The absorption peaks of the cis-isomers and trans-isomers were in 281–291 nm and 353–361 nm, respectively. Their fluorescence emission peaks of the derivatives were located in the range of 400–650 nm. The whiteness data indicated that all the stilbene-triazine-amino acid derivatives showed excellent whitening effect on cotton fiber compared to untreated cotton. The preliminary cytotoxicity of these derivatives on a mouse fibroblast cell line (L-929 cells) was also investigated. The results showed that the compounds (7a–h) were nontoxic to L-929 cells as fluorescent whitening agents.