Synthesis and evaluation of aryl boronic acids as fluorescent artificial receptors for biological carbohydrates

► Aryl boronic acid compounds serving as artificial receptors for biological carbohydrates. ► Boronic acid rapidly and reversibly bind to 1,2 and 1,3 cis diols forming cyclic esters. ► The design of artificial receptors will provide diagnostic tools to monitor the progression of various cancer types. ► Aryl fluorescent bisboronic acid compound 9b, bind selectively to HepG2, a liver carcinoma cell line.