The present invention relates to compounds of the general structure: wherein Y is O, X is O, bond alpha is absent and bond beta is present, or Y is H, X is CH, bond alpha is present, and bond beta is absent; atom Z is a carbon and bonds chi, delta and gamma are present, or is a nitrogen and bonds chi, delta and gamma are absent; R1 is -H, -OH, -O-R7, -N(H)-R8, -N(H)-(CH2)n-NH2, -N(R9)(R10), or a piperazine cation; R2 is either covalently bound to R9, or is -H, or is covalently bound to R3 so as to form a substituted or unsubstituted pyrrole or R2 is covalently bound to R9 or R8 or R7; or R1 and R2 are covalently joined to form an aromatic ring; R3 is either covalently bound to R2 so as to form a pyrrole, or is, inter alia, -H, -OH, alkyl, or when Z is nitrogen R3 is =O; R4 is, inter alia, -H, -OH, or -R11NH2; R5 is, inter alia, -H, -OH, or -R12NH2, and R6 is either is covalently bound to R10 or is -H, or R6 is covalently bound to R10 or R8 or R7. This invention also provides processes for making the compounds as well as methods for monitoring activity of monoamine transporters or treating monoamine transporter-associated diseases by employing the compounds. 
FLUORESCENT SUBSTRATES FOR MONOAMINE TRANSPORTERS AS OPTICAL FALSE NEUROTRANSMITTERS