Tetrazole fluorophores with boron-containing π-electron systems were synthesized using a novel two-step reaction pathway, including tetrazole synthesis and conjugation of BF3 etherate. The photophysical properties of one fluorophore were examined, and it was determined that the molecule fluoresced at a wavelength of 374 nm. The same fluorophore was introduced to mb-mda-231 breast cancer cells, allowing the change in the degree of fluorescence upon consumption by cells to be analyzed. This synthesized compound proved to function as a strong fluorophore, and the reported novel two-step synthesis allowed shorter reaction times and moderate yields. This is significant for the use of fluorescent probes in biological research, including the detection of protein location and activation, the visualization of protein complex formations, and the tracking of biological processes and molecules within the body. The synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and/or fluorescence microscopy.

Emily Duncan would like to thank their faculty sponsor Dr. Chris Arnatt for their support of this project.