Metal-free aminophosphonation: eco-friendly synthesis and photophysical properties of fluorescent 3-(aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl)phosphonates

Abstract

We report a novel, metal-free procedure forthe direct aminophosphonation of imidazo[1,2-a]-pyridines in green solvents under open air conditions.This method is characterized by its mild and sustainableconditions, ease of operation, scalability, and excellentfunctional group compatibility. The synthesized com-pounds exhibit promising photophysical properties,including significant Stokes shifts and quantum yields,making them potential candidates for innovative fluo-rescent probes.