Fluorescent N‐Heteroarenes Having Large Stokes Shift and Water Solubility Suitable for Bioimaging

Abstract

Abstract A series of fluorescent dimeric imidazo[1,5‐ a ]pyridinium salts have been synthesized. These salts displayed large Stokes shifts (up to 196 nm), possessed good water solubility, and exhibited blue to yellow emission ( Φ em =up to 0.50) in solution. When one specific compound was used for co‐incubation of HeLa cells, green fluorescent signals were observed. The combined use of the salt and commercially available blue fluorescent dye realized the double staining of HeLa cells under the single UV excitation.