David Wen

Facile N-alkylation of acridine esters with 1,3-propane sultone in ionic liquids

Hydrophilic chemiluminescent acridinium esters containing N-sulfopropyl groups are extremely useful labels in the clinical diagnostics industry. The synthesis of these labels is normally accomplished by N-alkylation of the acridine ester precursors with the carcinogenic reagent 1,3-propane sultone in neat reactions where the alkylating reagent also serves as the solvent. Product yields are often poor, the reactions are not reproducible and are also difficult to scale-up. In our efforts to develop a greener and a more efficient synthesis of N-sulfopropyl acridinium esters, we have discovered that commonly used room temperature ionic liquids such as [BMIM][BF4] and [BMIM][PF6] are excellent media for the N-alkylation of poorly reactive acridine esters with 1,3-propane sultone. Advantages include a significant reduction in the amount of toxic 1,3-propane sultone needed for good conversion to product, and minimal formation of polysulfonated products. The alkylation reaction in ionic liquids is amenable to scale-up for the synthesis of gram quantities of hydrophilic, chemiluminescent acridinium esters.

Effect of surfactants on the chemiluminescence of acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels and their conjugates

Chemiluminescent acridinium dimethylphenyl esters, containing two methyl groups flanking the phenolic ester bond, display excellent chemiluminescence stability and are used as labels in automated immunoassays for clinical diagnostics. Light emission from these labels is triggered with alkaline peroxide in the presence of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride. Under these conditions, light emission is rapid and is complete in <5 s. In the present study we examined the effect of various surfactants on light emission from acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels and their conjugates containing hydrophilic linkers derived either from hexa(ethylene)glycol or a sulfobetaine zwitterion. Sulfobetaine zwitterions are very polar and incorporation of these functional groups in acridinium dimethyphenyl esters and their conjugates represents a new approach to improving the aqueous solubility of these chemiluminescent labels. Our results indicate that in general, surfactants affect light emission from these labels and their conjugates by two discrete mechanisms. Cationic surfactants, but not anionic or non-ionic surfactants, accelerate overall light emission kinetics and a more modest effect is observed with zwitterionic surfactants. Surfactants also enhance total light output and the magnitude of this enhancement is maximal for cationic surfactants and a sulfobetaine zwitterionic surfactant. These observations are the first to clearly delineate the role of the surfactant on the chemiluminescence reaction pathway of acridinium esters and can be rationalized based on known effects of surfactant aggregates on bimolecular and unimolecular reactions.

Chemiluminescence from alkoxy-substituted acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels

Chemiluminescent acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels are used in automated immunoassays for clinical diagnostics. Light emission from these labels is triggered by alkaline peroxide in the presence of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). The surfactant plays a critical role in the chemiluminescence process of these labels by both accelerating their emission kinetics and increasing total light output enabling high throughout and improved assay sensitivity in automated immunoassays. Despite the surfactants crucial role in the chemiluminescent reaction, no study has investigated how structural perturbations in the acridinium ring could impact the influence of the surfactant. We describe herein the synthesis and properties of three new alkoxy-substituted, acridinium dimethylphenyl esters where the nature of the alkoxy group in the acridinium ring was varied (hydrophobic or hydrophilic). Chemiluminescence measurements of these alkoxy-substituted labels indicate that hydrophilic functional groups in the acridinium ring, in particular sulfobetaine zwitterions, disrupt surfactant-mediated compression of emission times but not enhancement of light yield. These results support the hypothesis that surfactant-mediated effects require the binding of two different reaction intermediates to surfactant aggregates and, that surfactants influence light emission from acridinium esters by two separate mechanisms. Our studies also indicate that preservation of both surfactant effects on acridinium ester chemiluminescence and low non-specific binding of the label can be achieved with a relatively hydrophobic acridinium ring coupled to a hydrophilic phenolic ester leaving group.

A green synthesis of chemiluminescent N-sulfopropyl acridinium esters in ionic liquids without using the carcinogen 1,3-propane sultone

Chemiluminescent acridinium dimethylphenyl esters containing hydrophilic N-sulfopropyl groups in the acridinium ring are used as labels in automated immunoassays for clinical diagnostics. Introduction of the N-sulfopropyl group in these labels is normally accomplished by N-alkylation of the corresponding, nonchemiluminescent acridine ester precursors with the toxic carcinogen 1,3-propane sultone. In the current study, we report that sodium 3-bromopropane sulfonate in ionic liquids (ILs) is a benign alternative to 1,3-propane sultone for introducing the N-sulfopropyl group in chemiluminescent acridinium ester labels. The sultone reagent can be eliminated in the synthesis of N-sulfopropyl acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels by taking advantage of the increased reactivity of acridan esters toward nontoxic sodium 3-bromopropane sulfonate in [BMIM][BF4]. Sodium 3-bromopropane sulfonate in ILs is also potentially a nontoxic alternative to 1,3-propane sultone for introducing the water-soluble, three-carbon sulfobetaine moiety in other molecules as well.