A synthetic approach to GFP chromophore analogs from 3-azidocinnamates. Role of methyl rotors in chromophore photophysics
We have suggested a novel combinatorial approach for synthesis of otherwise inaccessible GFP chromophore analogs, and studied the influence of aliphatic substituents on their pH-dependent spectral properties. We found that the demethylation at C or N positions of the imidazolone ring leads to a decrease in the excited state lifetime. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.