Merocyanine dyes with improved photostability.
Merocyanine dyes have proven valuable for live cell fluorescence imaging applications, but many structures have been limited by rapid photobleaching. We show that photostability is substantially enhanced for merocyanines having a cyano group at a specific position in the central polymethine chain. Evidence is presented that this is due to reduction in reactivity of the dyes with singlet oxygen. These results point toward cyano-substitution as a general strategy for improving dye performance in imaging applications.
Toutchkine
Alexei
A
Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. alexei.toutchkine@sial.com
Nguyen
Dan-Vinh
DV
Hahn
Klaus M
KM
D005453:Fluorescence; D010777:Photochemistry; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000737:chemistry*
D011744:Pyrimidinones; C003954:merocyanine dye