Novel CF₃-Substituted Pyridine- and Pyrimidine-Based Fluorescent Probes for Lipid Droplet Bioimaging

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Photophysics
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Development of novel fluorophores is crucial for advanced bioimaging applications.
• Push-pull systems offer tunable photophysical properties for specific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel push-pull fluorophores utilizing CF3-substituted pyridines and pyrimidines.
• To investigate the photophysical properties and bioimaging potential of these new compounds.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of CF3-substituted pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives.
• Absorption and emission spectral analyses in solution and solid states.
• Evaluation of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties.
• Cellular imaging studies using various cell cultures.

Main Results:

• Novel push-pull systems based on CF3-substituted pyridines and pyrimidines were successfully designed.
• Fluorophores exhibited moderate absolute quantum yields (up to 0.33 in solution, 0.12 in solid state).
• Significant aggregation-induced emission behavior was observed in most synthesized fluorophores.
• Selective visualization of lipid droplets in cell cultures was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The designed push-pull fluorophores are robust, low-toxicity, and suitable for bioimaging.
• Aggregation-induced emission properties enhance their utility as imaging agents.
• These systems show high selectivity for visualizing lipid droplets, outperforming known dyes.