Nile Blue: a versatile scaffold for modulating DNA-interacting properties.
Nile Blue (NB) is a red-emitting phenoxazine dye with affinity for DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s), yet its low fluorescence quantum yield in aqueous media and limited selectivity restrict biological applications. We synthesized three NB derivatives bearing hydroxy (5a), amino (5b), or carboxyl (5c) substituents. These deriva...