Novel 7-(dimethylamino)fluorene-based fluorescent probes and their binding to human serum albumin.

A novel solvatochromic fluorescent molecule, 9,9-dibutyl-7-(dimethylamino)-2-fluorenesulfonate 2 was synthesized from 2-nitrofluorene in moderate yield. The fluorescence spectra of 2 and 7-(dimethylamino)-2-fluorenesulfonate 1 shift to shorter wavelengths as the polarity of the medium decreases. Both 1 and 2 bind to hydrophobic sites of human serum albumin (HSA). The apparent binding constants were determined by fluorescence titration to be 0.37 x 10(6) M(-1) for 1 and 2.2 x 10(6) M(-1) for 2. The energy of the Trp-214 fluorescence of HSA is transferred to the HSA-bound fluorophores with near 100% efficiency. The covalent bonding of acrylodan (AC) to Cys-34 has little effect on the binding affinity of 2 to HSA or fluorescent behavior of HSA-bound 2. Bound 2 also has little effect on the fluorescence of AC, but 2-->AC and Trp-214-->2-->AC resonance energy transfers were observed. Competitive binding between the fluorene compounds and other ligands such as 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate, aspirin, S-(+)-ibuprofen and phenylbutazone were also studied fluorometrically. The results indicated that the primary binding site of 2 to HSA is site II in domain IIIA, whereas 1 binds to site I in domain IIA, but a different region from the phenylbutazone binding site. Because of its large molar absorptivity, strong fluorescence, sensitivity to its environment, and high binding constant to HSA, 2 can be used successfully in the study of proteins and their binding properties.

Solvent and pH effects on the fluorescence of 7-(dimethylamino)-2-fluorenesulfonate.

A novel water-soluble solvatochromic molecule, 7-(dimethylamino)-2-fluorenesulfonate (2,7-DAFS), was prepared by a three-step reaction from 2-nitrofluorene in good overall yield. The pH and solvent effects on the UV-VIS absorption and fluorescence spectra of 2,7-DAFS have been studied. Protonation of the dimethylamino group switches the absorption from intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) to pi --> pi* transition. The ground state pKa value of 2,7-DAFS was determined as 4.51. The fluorescence spectrum of the excited basic form, *(DAFS), shows a structureless single band with a large Stokes shift, whereas that of the acidic form, *((+)HDAFS), exhibits a structured band with a small Stokes shift. The emission intensities of the basic and acidic forms versus pH/Ho plots show stretched sigmoidal curves and indicate that (1) the rate of deprotonation of *((+)HDAFS) is comparable to the fluorescence decay of the species, and (2) the efficient proton-induced quenching of *(DAFS) fluorescence occurs. The pKa* was estimated as -1.7 from the fluorescence titration curve. The fluorescence maximum of *(DAFS) is blue-shifted as the polarity of solvent decreases. However, no clear dependency of the emission intensity and spectral half width, and thus fluorescence quantum yield, on the solvent polarity was revealed. It appears that the fluorescence sensitivity of 2,7-DAFS is 15 approximately 25 times greater than the sensitivity of a widely utilized fluorescent probe, 5-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonate. This higher sensitivity, together with the ease of derivatization, would provide the fluorene-based fluorescent molecules significant advantages for a variety of applications.

Self-inclusion behavior and circular dichroism of aliphatic chain-linked beta-cyclodextrin-viologen compounds and their reduced forms depending on the side of modification.

[Reaction: see text]. The self-inclusion behavior and induced circular dichroism (ICD) characteristics of two beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) derivatives, in which a 1-methyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (viologen) group is connected by an octamethylene chain to either the primary (2(2+)) or secondary (3(2+)) side of beta-CD, and of their reduced forms, are investigated. 1H NMR studies showed that 2(2+) forms an intramolecular self-inclusion complex with K(in) = 3.1 +/- 0.4, whereas 3(2+) forms a head-to-head type of dimer with K(D) = 65 +/- 10 M(-1) at 25 degrees C. 2(2+) and 3(2+) form [2]pseudorotaxanes with alpha-CD, with the secondary side of the alpha-CD facing the viologen moiety. The ICD characteristics of mono-6-[4-(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)-1-pyridinio]-beta-CD (1(2+)), 2(2+), 3(2+), and methyloctyl viologen-beta-CD complexes were obtained for the oxidized and reduced states of the viologen units. The results indicated dimer formation for 1 degrees , and intramolecular complexation for 2*+ and 2 degrees in which the reduced viologen units are outside the beta-CD cavity. The results also indicated intramolecular complexation for 3*+ and 3 degrees, but with reduced viologen units inside the cavity. This work provides unequivocal evidence of the preference of the secondary side of cyclodextrins for viologen groups, regardless of their oxidation states, and the dependence of ICD of the viologen chromophores on their location with respect to the CD cavity.