A number of 4-arylpyridines, many methoxy substituted, were prepared by an efficient two-step method involving aryl Grignard addition to 1-methyl-4-piperidone and direct aromatization of the resulting 4-aryl-4-piperidinols. The pyridines were N-alkylated to give sulfonate salts desired for their fluorescent properties. Study of selected compounds as laser dyes revealed several structures to be efficient dyes lasing in the 530-550 nm range. Two new diazaquaterphenyls were prepared and were quaternized. These salts exhibited intense fluorescence in the 420-450 nm range, but would not lase. A phenolic azaterphenyl suitably substituted for excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) did not fluoresce at all.
