Electrochemically active cross-linking reaction for fluorescent labeling of aliphatic alkenes

Although cross-linking reactions serve as a valuable tool for the integration of two or more functionalities or properties, the application of electrochemical synthesis to cross-linking reactions is restricted due to the difficulty of mass transfer. Thus, the primary purpose of this research is to explore electrochemical cross-linking systems to construct a fluorescent probe, triggered by the formation of a covalent linkage. The second purpose is to apply the probe to insoluble targets. Towards these goals, a combination of electrochemically active phenol derivatives and aliphatic alkenes were employed to form polycyclic compounds. Several of the dihydrobenzofuran derivatives formed through [3+2] cyclization reactions exhibited fluorescence. Furthermore, this approach allowed the effective modification of alkene-modified silica gel with electrochemically active species, which enables the construction of fluorescent probes that are triggered by C-C bond formation.