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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

A Novel Technique for Generating and Observing Chemiluminescence in a Biological Setting
Published on: March 9, 2017
Cyclo[2]benzimidazole: luminescence turn-on sensing of anions
Yael Abraham1, Husein Salman, Kinga Suwinska
1Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000 Haifa, Israel.
Abstract:
Cyclo[2]benzimidazole is a new host for anions that turns on its luminescence up to 150 fold upon binding. Photoexcited cyclo[2]benzimidazole undergoes an efficient non-radiative deactivation through an excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) mechanism. Upon binding an anion, the ESIPT pathway is blocked, resulting in an increase in the luminescence efficiency.
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