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

Abstract

We have designed novel push–pull systems based on CF3-substituted pyridines and pyrimidines. The photophysical properties of these new fluorophores have been examined using both absorption and emission spectral analyses in acetonitrile solutions and solid states. All fluorophores proved to exhibit moderate absolute quantum yields of up to 0.33 in solutions and up to 0.12 in solid states, depending on their specific structures. Most fluorophores have demonstrated significant aggregation-induced emission behavior, making them suitable as robust and low-toxicity bioimaging agents for bioimaging studies. Comparison with known dyes and studies on various cell cultures demonstrated the selectivity of the obtained push–pull systems for visualizing lipid droplets.