Insufficient levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine are associated with Parkinson’s disease, but the role of dopamine in the brain is not well understood.  In an effort to gain insight into the function of dopamine in the brain, a chemosensor for dopamine has been developed.  The sensor contains a boronic acid to bind the catechol of dopamine and a coumarin aldehyde which forms an imine with the amine portion.  In a buffered aqueous solution at pH=7.0, the binding event is associated with a red shift in absorbance of 35 nm with KA=2.7*10³ M^-1.   The binding constant for the related catecholamine norepinephrine is KA=1.8*10³ M^-1.  The sensor does not respond to epinephrine, glucose, fructose, or cytidine.  Other amine-containing analytes such as glucosamine, lysine, and glutamate bind with low affinity.