Vinyl-diazine triphenylamines and their N-methylated derivatives: Synthesis, photophysical properties and application for staining DNA

In this paper we describe the synthesis of vinyl-diazine triphenylamines. These compounds exhibit strong green-yellow fluorescence in dichloromethane solution, important emission solvatochromism and acidochromism. Regioselective N-alkylation of these dyes provides cationic compounds that exhibit affinity for double-stranded DNA. Binding to the biopolymer results in a strong bathochromic shift and increase of the emission intensity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.