Design, microwave-assisted synthesis, and photophysical properties of small molecule organic antennas for luminescence resonance energy transfer.

A highly efficient microwave-assisted method was successfully developed for the synthesis of a library of carbostyril analogues. The reaction time for synthesis of carbostyril analogues was drastically reduced from a reported 18-58 h to only 80 min. Compounds obtained directly from each synthesis were more than 90% pure and did not require any further purification. On the basis of the fluorescence spectra of the compounds in the initial library, four carbostyril analogues were designed. Two of these analogues showed very favorable fluorescence profiles and have the potential to be used as small molecule organic antennas for LRET studies.