03/03/2020
In a recently published article, we described the fluorescent properties of 2-cyano-6-hydroxybenzothiazol (CBTOH), the luciferin precursor in the firefly bioluminescence. We found a photoacid and photobase behaviour which explains the high sensitivity of its fluorescence to the medium properties. These features make CBTOH a potentially useful fluorescent probe, besides constituting a new member of the familiy of strong photoacids and photobases.
