Efficient fluorophores based on pyridyl-enolato and enamido difluoroboron complexes: Simple alternatives to boron-dipyrromethene (bodipy) dyes

Difluoroboron complexes of unsymmetric [N,O] and [N,N] chelate ligands based on pyridyl or quinolyl enolates or enamides can be synthesized easily. They are efficient fluorophores with potential applications as biolabels, due to their convenient functionalization by simple condensation reactions with primary amines.