Supported three-dimensional arrays of a polydiacetylene backbone bonded to and supported by a
solid support in a sample are provided. The bonding is achieved by providing a support having
thiol and / or amine groups and
epoxy groups and / or
maleimide groups, and a polydiacetylene backbone containing the other of
thiol and / or amine groups or the
epoxy and / or
maleimide groups for reacting with the corresponding
thiol groups or
epoxy groups and / or
maleimide groups on the support; provided that when an amine is used the other group is an epoxy; and / or having a layer of a
polyelectrolyte on the support; and / or having a multiple atom
linker between the three-dimensional array of the polydiacetylene backbone and the
solid support. The supported three-dimensional arrays can be used for detecting an
analyte; for evaluating the organic / water
partition coefficient and / or oral absorptivity and / or ability of a compound to diffuse into
cell membranes and / or transcellular permeability properties of a compound and / or the
ionization state of a compound and / or the volume of distribution of a compound and / or the distribution of a compound into different tissues and / or the partitioning of a compound into
cell organelles by monitoring the change in the
fluorescence or
phosphorescence upon
exposure to the compound and optionally comparing it to a known change in
fluorescence or
phosphorescence, respectively. The supported three-dimensional arrays can also be used to evaluate the ability of a compound to bind to a
protein and for the detection of a plurality of different species.