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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

A Bright NIR-II Fluorescence Probe for Vascular and Tumor Imaging
Published on: March 17, 2023
Flavylium Polymethine Fluorophores for Near- and Shortwave Infrared Imaging
Emily D Cosco1, Justin R Caram2, Oliver T Bruns2
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
Abstract:
Bright fluorophores in the near-infrared and shortwave infrared (SWIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are essential for optical imaging in vivo. In this work, we utilized a 7-dimethylamino flavylium heterocycle to construct a panel of novel red-shifted polymethine dyes, with emission wavelengths from 680 to 1045 nm. Photophysical characterization revealed that the 1- and 3-methine dyes display enhanced photostability and the 5- and 7-methine dyes exhibit exceptional brightness for their respective spectral regions. A micelle formulation of the 7-methine facilitated SWIR imaging in mice. This report presents the first polymethine dye designed and synthesized for SWIR in vivo imaging.
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