Kinetics and thermodynamics of amine and diamine signaling by a trifluoroacetyl azobenzene reporter group.

[reaction: see text] (Trifluoroacetyl)azobenzene dyes were previously employed as amine reporter groups (chemosensors) in a dendrimer-based monomolecular imprinting system. Kinetic and binding studies with a range of amines and diamines show that the highly selective signaling observed for alkane diamines by these imprinted dendrimers arises from a kinetic effect due to intramolecular general base-catalyzed carbinolamine formation with the dye itself. The relationship between diamine structure and carbinolamine stability and rate of formation is described.