Molecules (Aug 2023)

The Multifaceted Opportunities Provided by the Pheomelanin-Inspired 1,4-Benzothiazine Chromophore: A Still-Undervalued Issue

  • Maria Laura Alfieri,
  • Lucia Panzella

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176237
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 28, no. 17
p. 6237

Abstract

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1,4-Benzothiazines are the main building blocks of the naturally occurring pheomelanin pigments, and their chromophoric properties have been strongly related to the well-known phototoxicity of these pigments, partly responsible for the high incidence of melanoma and other skin cancers in red-haired people. However, some peculiar features of the 1,4-benzothiazine chromophore could be functionally exploited in several sectors. Within this context, in this perspective, an overview of the very recently reported applications of the 1,4-benzothiazine chromophore in pH sensing, filter permeability control, smart packaging, electrochromic device fabrication, bioimaging, photocatalysis, and HPLC detection systems is provided, together with a brief presentation of recently developed synthetic approaches to the 1,4-benzothiazine scaffold, with the aim of emphasizing the still-undervalued multifunctional opportunities offered by this class of compounds.

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