(E)-3-Heptyl-2-(4-thiomorpholinostyryl)benzo[d]thiazol-3-ium Iodide as Solvatochromic and Fluorogenic Dye for Spectroscopy Applications

The development of new selective fluorogenic probes for monitoring microbiological objects and cellular compartments may help to determine the mechanism of pathogenesis of new pathogens in living cells. The easy and reliable synthetic strategy for the direct preparation of chemically pure styryl dye (E)-3-heptyl-2-(4-thiomorpholinostyryl)benzo[d]thiazol-3-ium iodide is described. The photophysical properties in different solvents and in water medium neat and in the presence of the dsDNA and RNA of the dye is demonstrated and compared with that of the known structure analogue. The cellular uptake and the ability to bind cell organelles is determined. The introduction of a heptyl substituent attached to the quaternary nitrogen atom of the benzothiazole ring leads to an improvement in the photophysical properties of the dye.