Improved photodecarboxylation properties in zinc photocages constructed using m-nitrophenylacetic acid variants

The methoxy- and fluoro-derivatives of meta-nitrophenylacetic acid (mNPA) chromophores undergo photodecarboxylation with comparable quantum yields to unsubstituted mNPA, but uncage at red-shifted excitation wavelengths. This observation prompted us to investigate DPAdeCageOMe (2-[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]-2-(4-methoxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetic acid) and DPAdeCageF (2-[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]-2-(4-fluoro-3-nitrophenyl)acetic acid) as Zn2+ photocages. DPAdeCageOMe has a high quantum yield and exhibits other photophysical properties comparable to XDPAdeCage ({bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amino}(9-oxo-2-xanthenyl) acetic acid), the best perforiming Zn2+ photocage reported to date. Since the synthesis of DPAdeCageOMe is more straightforward than XDPACage, the new photocage will be a highly competitive tool for biological applications.