%0 Journal Article
%T Fluorescent styrenes for mitochondrial imaging and viscosity sensing.
%A Singh D
%A Ghorpade M
%A Regar R
%A Collot M
%A Soppina V
%A Kanvah S
%J Photochem Photobiol
%V 100
%N 4
%D 2024 Jul-Aug 22
%M 38385897
%F 3.521
%R 10.1111/php.13910
%X Fluorophores bearing cationic pendants, such as the pyridinium group, tend to preferentially accumulate in mitochondria, whereas those with pentafluorophenyl groups display a distinct affinity for the endoplasmic reticulum. In this study, we designed fluorophores incorporating pyridinium and pentafluorophenyl pendants and examined their impact on sub-cellular localization. Remarkably, the fluorophores exhibited a notable propensity for the mitochondrial membrane. Furthermore, these fluorophores revealed dual functionality by facilitating the detection of viscosity changes within the sub-cellular environment and serving as heavy-atom-free photosensitizers. With easy chemical tunability, wash-free imaging, and a favorable signal-to-noise ratio, these fluorophores are valuable tools for imaging mitochondria and investigating their cellular processes.