Structural studies of biarylpyridines fluorophores lead to the identification of promising long wavelength emitters for use in fluorescent chemosensors

Fluorescent chemosensors—molecules whose fluorescence emission changes in response to a reversible binding event—require both a substrate binding domain and a reporting fluorophore. Our approach to chemosensor development is based on a combination of a new signaling mechanism and a modular fluorophore synthesis. The latter feature has facilitated detailed study of the properties of polyarylpyridine fluorophores, and has led to the identification of a visibly-emissive pyridine as a promising lead structure for chemosensor development. The results of this study are described herein.