Abstract A series of pyridine and bipyridine molecules combining dual fluorescent (dansyl) and magnetic (free radical) probes has been prepared by a linear multistep protocol from the corresponding monodansylated derivatives. The grafting of the flexible aliphatic radical is realized by the use of a chloromethylnitronyl nitroxide derivative under basic conditions and with KI as a mediator. The synthetic potential of 2-[(5-dimethylamino-1-naphthalenesulfon- ...