The syntheses and photophysical properties of 1-(5-methylhexyl)-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[2,1-e]indol-9(6H)-one (7a) and 1-(5-methylhexyl)-2,3,8,9-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[2,1-e]indol-6(7H)-one (7b) are reported. They are prepared in eight steps from the corresponding bromonaphthylamines. These fluorescent compounds have PRODAN-like cores, and they are structurally similar to cholesterol. Compound 7a is the first reported PRODAN derivative where both the amino and carbonyl groups are constrained to be coplanar with the naphthalene core. Comparing the photophysical behavior of these compounds with related compounds indicates that locking the amino group in a five-membered ring enhances their desirable properties as solvent polarity sensors.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.