2,5-Dimethoxy-benzylidene-rhodanine and its acyclic analogues as selective fluorogenic dyes for lipid droplets of living cells

We report about a series of arylidene-rhodanines and their acyclic analogues. The fluorescent properties of these substances were studied. We showed that the derivatives containing a 2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene fragment or similar groups are characterized by a noticeable variation in the fluorescence quantum yield depending on the properties of the medium. We discovered that two of the synthesized compounds – dimethoxy-benzylidene-rhodanine and dimethoxy-benzylidene-malononitrile – can be used as selective fluorogenic dyes for lipid droplets (adiposomes) of living cells for labeling under fluorescent microscopy conditions.