Novel thiazoline-phenothiazine based “push-pull” molecules as fluorescent probes for volatile acids detection

A Review on Recent Development of Phenothiazine-Based Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Sensors for the Detection of Cations, Anions, and Neutral Analytes

This review provides an in-depth examination of recent progress in the development of chemosensors, with a particular emphasis on colorimetric and fluorescent probes. It systematically explores various sensing mechanisms, including metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT), photoinduced electron transfer (PET), intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and elucidates the mechanism of action for cation and anion chemosensors. Special attention is given to phenothiazine-based fluorescence probes, highlighting their exceptional sensitivity and rapid detection abilities for a broad spectrum of analytes, including cations, anions, and small molecules. Phenothiazine chemosensors have emerged as versatile tools widely employed in a multitude of applications, spanning environmental and biomedical fields. Furthermore, it addresses existing challenges and offers insights into future research directions, aiming to facilitate the continued advancement of phenothiazine-based fluorescent probes.

Recent advances in the synthesis and utility of thiazoline and its derivatives

Thiazolines and their derivatives hold significant importance in the field of medicinal chemistry due to their promising potential as pharmaceutical agents. These molecular entities serve as critical scaffolds within numerous natural products, including curacin A, thiangazole, and mirabazole, and play a vital role in a wide array of physiological reactions. Their pharmacological versatility encompasses anti-HIV, neurological, anti-cancer, and antibiotic activities. Over the course of recent decades, researchers have extensively explored and developed analogs of these compounds, uncovering compelling therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Consequently, thiazoline-based compounds have emerged as noteworthy targets for synthetic endeavors. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the synthesis of thiazolines and thiazoline-based derivatives, along with an exploration of their diverse potential applications across various scientific domains.

Development of a push-π-pull phenothiazine-vinyl-isophorone fluorophore: a novel solvatochromic and pH indicator

Knoevenagel condensation of phenothiazine-3,7-dicarbaldehyde with an isophorone yielded a new phenothiazine derivative (PTZ-c) fluorophore. The solvatochromic and pH-sensing abilities of PTZ-c, an asymmetric fluorophore with a single isophorone molecule, were shown to be exceptional. PTZ-c produced very delicate absorbance and emission spectra. When the polarity of the solvent was increased, the PTZ-c emission spectra showed greater sensitivity than the absorption spectra. Multiple spectroscopic techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry, were used to characterize the manufactured PTZ-c sensor. To demonstrate the beneficial solvatochromic behaviour associated with intramolecular charge transfer, the absorption spectra of the synthesized DA PTZ-c dye were analyzed in different solvents of varying polarity. Band intensity and the wavelength of PTZ-c emission were also found to be highly solvent dependent. It was observed that when solvent polarity was increased to a maximum of 4122 cm^-1 , Stokes' shift also increased. To analyze the Stokes' shift that depended on the solvent, a linear correlation between solvation and energy was used. An investigation of PTZ-c quantum yield (ф) was also conducted. Both the absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the sensor in dimethylformamide as a function of pH were studied. A fluorescence peak was seen at 562 nm, whereas the greatest absorption wavelengths were found at 403 and 317 nm. It was shown that the pH-sensing mechanism depended on protons removed from the PTZ-c chromophore, which caused a colour shift and variation in both emission and colorimetric properties.

Protonation induced redshift in the fluorescence of a pyridine derivative as a potential anti-counterfeiting agent

A simple pyridine-based compound, i.e. (2,4,6-tris(4-(hexyloxy)phenyl)pyridine), was synthesized and exhibited excellent solubility in various organic solvents owing to the presence of three 4-n-hexyloxy chains in its molecular structure. Further, we studied the effect of various solvents on its absorption and emission properties. We observed a greater extent of redshift in the chloroform solvent compared to the rest of the solvents. In fact, the observed redshift was attributed to protonation of the pyridine moiety by HCl (present due to the oxidative photo-decomposition of chloroform) in the solvent. Therefore, we also studied the acidochromic properties of the compound using acetic acid (AA), trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and hydrochloric acid (HCl). We found that the compound sensed the HCl vapor much more efficiently than the TFA and AA vapours. Additionally, DFT analysis suggested a narrow theoretical bandgap for the protonated molecule when compared to the neutral molecule, explaining the redshift in the absorption and emission spectra of the protonated molecule. Furthermore, the compound exhibited a good level of aggregation induced enhanced emission (AIEE) in the THF-water system. In fact, compounds showing both AIEE and acidochromism are rarely reported in the literature. Finally, we employed it as an anti-counterfeiting agent based on its acid-base vapour sensing capability.

Push-Pull Effect of Terpyridine Substituted by Triphenylamine Motive—Impact of Viscosity, Polarity and Protonation on Molecular Optical Properties

The introduction of an electron-donating triphenylamine motive into a 2,2′,6′,2′′-terpyridine (terpy) moiety, a cornerstone molecular unit in coordination chemistry, opens new ways for a rational design of photophysical properties of organic and inorganic compounds. A push-pull compound, 4′-(4-(di(4-tert-butylphenyl)amine)phenyl)-2,2′,6′,2′′-terpyridine (tBuTPAterpy), was thoroughly investigated with the use of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Our results demonstrate that solvent parameters have an enormous influence on the optical properties of this molecule, acting as knobs for external control of its photophysics. The Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT) process introduces a remarkable solvent polarity effect on the emission spectra without affecting the lowest absorption band, as confirmed by DFT simulations, including solvation effects. The calculations ascribe the lowest absorption transitions to two singlet ICT excited states, S₁ and S₂, with S₁ having several orders of magnitude higher oscillator strength than the “dark” S₂ state. Temperature and viscosity investigations suggest the existence of two emitting excited states with different structural conformations. The phosphorescence emission band observed at 77 K is assigned to a localized ³terpy state. Finally, protonation studies show that tBuTPAterpy undergoes a reversible process, making it a promising probe of the pH level in the context of acidity determination.

Recent development of small-molecule fluorescent probes based on phenothiazine and its derivates

Fluorescence probes, as analytical tools with the ability to perform rapid and sensitive detection of target analytes, have made outstanding contributions to environmental analysis and bioassays. Considering the expanding developments in these areas, fluorophores play a key role in the de-sign of fluorescence probes. Compared to classical fluorophores, phenothiazines with elec-tron-rich characteristics have been widely applied to construct electron donor-acceptor dyes, which exhibit outstanding performance in both fluorimetric and colorimetric analysis. In addition, these probes also exhibit the pronounced ability in both solution and solid-state, achieving portable detection for environmental analysis. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the performance of phenothiazine-based fluorescent probes for detecting various analytes, especially in cations, anions, ROS/RSS, enzyme and other small molecules. The general design rules, response mechanisms and practical applications of the probes are analyzed, followed by a discussion of exiting challenges and future research perspectives. It is hoped that this review will provide a few strategies for the development of phenothiazine-based fluorescent probes.