title: Acid-base sensors based on novel quinone-type dyes.
abstract: We present a detailed study on the acid-base behaviour of a family of "potentially antiaromatic" p-benzoquinonediimine ligands. These 12pi electron molecules can be considered as constituted of two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6pi-electron subunits. Upon successive protonation, "mono" and "double" cyanine-type chromophores are generated in solution and allow a precise and sensitive spectrophotometric detection. These molecules represent a new class of tunable quinones whose electronic and structural properties can be triggered by proton input, as established by a complete physico-chemical study involving a combination of potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods (absorption and emission).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Bioinorganique, UMR 7509 CNRS, ECPM, Université Louis Pasteur, 25 rue Becquerel, 67200 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elhabiri
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Siri
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sornosa-Tent
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Albrecht-Gary
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Braunstein