Issue 17, 2012

Chemiluminescence from alkoxy-substituted acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels

Abstract

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 surfactant's 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.

Graphical abstract: Chemiluminescence from alkoxy-substituted acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Jan 2012
Accepted
23 Feb 2012
First published
23 Feb 2012

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2012,10, 3432-3447

Chemiluminescence from alkoxy-substituted acridinium dimethylphenyl ester labels

A. Natrajan, D. Sharpe and D. Wen, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2012, 10, 3432 DOI: 10.1039/C2OB00022A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements