Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules

Fluorescent labels, commonly used in highly sensitive analytical techniques for detecting and tracking biomolecules in critical fields like cellular biology, medicine, medicinal chemistry, and environmental science, are currently too expensive for routine use in standard applications, with most exhi...

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Main Authors: Raquel Eustáquio, João P. Prates Ramalho, Sílvia Arantes, António Candeias, Ana Teresa Caldeira, António Pereira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5237
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author Raquel Eustáquio
João P. Prates Ramalho
Sílvia Arantes
António Candeias
Ana Teresa Caldeira
António Pereira
author_facet Raquel Eustáquio
João P. Prates Ramalho
Sílvia Arantes
António Candeias
Ana Teresa Caldeira
António Pereira
author_sort Raquel Eustáquio
collection DOAJ
description Fluorescent labels, commonly used in highly sensitive analytical techniques for detecting and tracking biomolecules in critical fields like cellular biology, medicine, medicinal chemistry, and environmental science, are currently too expensive for routine use in standard applications, with most exhibiting small Stokes shifts. This limitation underscores the potential of 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde derivatives as a cost-effective alternative for developing new, bright fluorophores with larger Stokes shifts. In this work, using 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde as starting material, we developed a simple, cost-effective, and efficient synthetic strategy to produce new affordable small molecules as effective fluorescent labels for biomolecules. Density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations were also conducted to gain insights into the observed photophysical properties.
format Article
id doaj-art-81bd0ffcbbc4405aa315cc7c6aa0123b
institution OA Journals
issn 1420-3049
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record_format Article
series Molecules
spelling doaj-art-81bd0ffcbbc4405aa315cc7c6aa0123b2025-08-20T01:49:12ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492024-11-012922523710.3390/molecules29225237Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for BiomoleculesRaquel Eustáquio0João P. Prates Ramalho1Sílvia Arantes2António Candeias3Ana Teresa Caldeira4António Pereira5HERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalHERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalHERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalHERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalHERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalHERCULES Laboratory, IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalFluorescent labels, commonly used in highly sensitive analytical techniques for detecting and tracking biomolecules in critical fields like cellular biology, medicine, medicinal chemistry, and environmental science, are currently too expensive for routine use in standard applications, with most exhibiting small Stokes shifts. This limitation underscores the potential of 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde derivatives as a cost-effective alternative for developing new, bright fluorophores with larger Stokes shifts. In this work, using 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde as starting material, we developed a simple, cost-effective, and efficient synthetic strategy to produce new affordable small molecules as effective fluorescent labels for biomolecules. Density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations were also conducted to gain insights into the observed photophysical properties.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5237fluorescent labels4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde derivativesbiomoleculesRNA-FISH probes
spellingShingle Raquel Eustáquio
João P. Prates Ramalho
Sílvia Arantes
António Candeias
Ana Teresa Caldeira
António Pereira
Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
Molecules
fluorescent labels
4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde derivatives
biomolecules
RNA-FISH probes
title Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
title_full Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
title_fullStr Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
title_full_unstemmed Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
title_short Affordable Small Molecules as Promising Fluorescent Labels for Biomolecules
title_sort affordable small molecules as promising fluorescent labels for biomolecules
topic fluorescent labels
4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde derivatives
biomolecules
RNA-FISH probes
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5237
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AT joaoppratesramalho affordablesmallmoleculesaspromisingfluorescentlabelsforbiomolecules
AT silviaarantes affordablesmallmoleculesaspromisingfluorescentlabelsforbiomolecules
AT antoniocandeias affordablesmallmoleculesaspromisingfluorescentlabelsforbiomolecules
AT anateresacaldeira affordablesmallmoleculesaspromisingfluorescentlabelsforbiomolecules
AT antoniopereira affordablesmallmoleculesaspromisingfluorescentlabelsforbiomolecules