A new amino acid derived fluorescent linker for attaching molecules to the surface of a microelectrode array has been developed. Molecules to be monitored on an array are attached to the C-terminus of the linker, the N-terminus is then used to attach the linker to the array, and the side chain is used to synthesize a fluorescent tag. The fluorescent group is made with a one-step oxidative cycloaddition reaction starting from a hydroxyindole group. The linker is compatible with site-selective Cu(I)-chemistry on the array, it allows for quality control assessment of the array itself, and it is compatible with the electrochemical impedance experiments used to monitor binding events on the surface of the array.