Photophysical Characteristics of Polarity-Sensitive and Lipid Droplet-Specific Phenylbenzothiadiazoles

In this study, we present a series of solvatochromic phenylbenzothiadiazoles that display dual emission from the locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) excited states. The donor-acceptor derivatives are highly sensitive to polarity changes, which can be monitored by differences in emission efficiency, spectroscopic shifts and variations of the LE/ICT ratio. One of the compounds in the series, containing a thiomethyl substituent, emerged as an excellent blue emitting stain for intracellular lipid droplets, a biomarker for various types of cancer. In addition, a non-emissive nitro derivative becomes fluorescent upon bioreduction in hypoxic cancer cells and accumulates in lipid droplets with a high signal-to-background ratio.