A novel cyan-emitting fluorescent α-amino acid: synthesis, photophysical characterization and live-cell imaging properties.

ABSTRACT: Small-molecule-based fluorescent probes, particularly fluorescent analogs of α-amino acids (FAAs), have become valuable tools for labeling proteins of interest and visualizing biological processes in living cells. In this study, we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of a novel cyan-emitting fluorescent α-amino acid, 4-dibenzothiophen-4-yl-l-phenylalanine (DBT-FAA). DBT-FAA was synthesized in good yield via a facile 3-step procedure involving modified Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The compound exhibits strong fluorescence in a broad range of aqueous and polar solvents, with a major emission peak at ∼424-445 nm and secondary shoulders at longer wavelengths (∼448-583 nm), along with a high quantum yield (Φ = 0.74 in DMS

SUBMITTER: Gupta A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12917728 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature