Prof. Bradley D. Smith and coworkers at University of Notre Dame and Molecular Targeting Technologies, Inc. have modified squaraine rotaxanes with four large stopper groups that provide the much needed long-term, chemical stability in physiological solution. Combined with high quantum yields, excellent excitation/emission wavelength for in vivo analysis, good water-solubility, some of these new dyes undergo rapid renal clearance and very low tissue uptake in living mice, making them excellent fluorescent tracers.
As noted by the authors, the dendritic and polyionic structures of these dyes will also interest and inform the community of scientists who are trying to develop compounds that do not interact with biological surfaces.
A simple and novel approach – Read all the details here – This Hot Article will be free to access for the next 4 weeks
Water-soluble, deep-red fluorescent squaraine rotaxanes
Erin L. Cole, Easwaran Arunkumar, Shuzhang Xiao, Bryan A. Smith and Bradley D. Smith
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB06783H, Communication
