Proton-activated fluorescence as a tool for simultaneous screening of combinatorial chemical reactions.

In recent years, combinatorial chemistry has had a significant impact on catalyst discovery in diverse fields. Proton-activated fluorescence (PAF) has been successfully demonstrated as a technique for effective screening of catalysts for electro-oxidation, enzymatic ester hydrolysis and nonenzymatic acyl transfer reactions. Among the working prototypes are screens for high-throughput assays of arrayed solid-state catalysts, dissolved enzymatic and small-molecule catalysts, as well as catalysts immobilized in solid-phase synthesis beads or polymeric gels. Given the range of reactions that may be set up to provide a change in local pH, the potential of PAF to facilitate catalyst discovery and process development is significant.