Small molecule fluorescent dyes are commonly used as imaging agents, sensors, and enzyme substrates in a variety of experiments.  The best dyes are often the brightest, but in many applications of fluorogenic probes, initial low background fluorescence is equally valuable to achieve contrast.  Traditionally, the synthesis of xanthene dyes is low-yielding, requiring harsh conditions and difficult purifications.  Undergraduates have contributed to the development, synthesis, and analysis of several fluorescein-based sensors and enzyme substrates via a versatile route that features a key reduction of the xanthene core to increase yields and ease of production.  These probes contain a fluorescein diether core that blocks nonspecific hydrolysis, resulting in low background fluorescence that enables efficient measurements of low concentrations of analytes in solution.

Power of darkness: Contrast in fluorogenic dyes

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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