Keto-Analogs of Arylidene-Imidazolones as Fluorogenic Dyes

Abstract

We report a series of (Z)-2-acetyl-4-benzyliden-1-methyl-1Н-imidazol-5(4Н)-ones with a pronounced solvent-dependent intensity of fluorescence variation. The introduction of the 2-acetyl group allows one to shift the absorption and emission maxima to the long-wavelength region. We have shown that these compounds can be used for staining the endoplasmic reticulum for fluorescent microscopy.