The pyranine-benzalkonium ion pair: A promising fluorescent system for the ratiometric detection of wound pH

Pyranine is a non-toxic fluorescent dye, with a broad range of applications in biomedicine where it allows precise ratiometric detection of pH within the physiological pH window. Hereby, the facile synthesis, potentially interesting for commercial applications, of a novel ion pair between pyranine and benzalkonium is described. Benzalkonium, a quaternary ammonium salt with potent antimicrobial properties, makes pyranine sufficiently hydrophobic...