Highly selective staining and quantification of intracellular lipid droplets with a compact push-pull fluorophore based on benzothiadiazole.

A robust lipophilic dye, based on the structures of the benzothiadiazole heterocycle, was shown to be a potent fluorescent stain for the selective imaging of lipid droplets (LDs) within both live and fixed human cells. Its small molecular framework, large Stokes shift, and vastly improved photostability over that of the current status quo, Nile Red, highlight its tremendous potential as a versatile chemical tool for facilitating LD imaging and research.

Blue-Light Photocleavable Protecting Groups Based on Benzothiadiazole Scaffolds.

An unexpected nucleophilic aromatic substitution lead to a novel benzothiadiazole scaffold that bore the functional group pattern associated with benzyl-type photocleavable protecting groups. The new molecules display efficient photochemical release of leaving groups with blue light. The performance of both ortho- and meta-substituted derivatives was probed through both structural manipulation and computational metrics to improve performance.

A Small Push-Pull Fluorophore for Turn-on Fluorescence.

A new class of push-pull dyes is reported based on the structures of benzoxa- and benzothiadiazole heterocycles. This new class of dyes displays red-shifted wavelengths of emission and greater sensitivity to polarity and hydrogen bonding solvents relative to previously known derivatives.