Introduction of various substitutions to the methine bridge of heptamethine cyanine dyes Via substituted dianil linkers

Engineering Central Substitutions in Heptamethine Dyes for Improved Fluorophore Performance

As a major family of red-shifted fluorophores that operate beyond visible light, polymethine dyes are pivotal in light-based biological techniques. However, methods for tuning this kind of fluorophores by structural modification remain restricted to bottom-up synthesis and modification using coupling or nucleophilic substitutions. In this study, we introduce a two-step, late-stage functionalization process for heptamethine dyes. This process enables the substitution of the central chlorine atom in the commonly used 4'-chloro heptamethine scaffold with various aryl groups using aryllithium reagents. This method borrows the building block and designs from the xanthene dye community and offers a mild and convenient way for the diversification of heptamethine fluorophores. Notably, this efficient conversion allows for the synthesis of heptamethine-X, the heptamethine scaffold with two ortho-substituents on the 4'-aryl modification, which brings enhanced stability and reduced aggregation to the fluorophore. We showcase the utility of this method by a facile synthesis of a fluorogenic, membrane-localizing fluorophore that outperforms its commercial counterparts with a significantly higher brightness and contrast. Overall, this method establishes the synthetic similarities between polymethine and xanthene fluorophores and provides a versatile and feasible toolbox for future optimizing heptamethine fluorophores for their biological applications.

Cyclopentene ring effects in cyanine dyes: a handle to fine-tune photophysical properties

The aim of this study is to investigate the photophysical properties of a cyanine dye analogue by performing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent-DFT. Cationic cyanine dyes are the subject of great importance due to their versatile applications and the tunability of their photophysical properties, such as by modifying their end groups and chain length. An example of this is the vinylene shift, which is experimentally known for these molecules, and it consists of a bathochromic (red) shift of approximately 100 nm of the 0-0 vibronic transition when a vinyl group is added to the polymethine chain. Our study shows that when the saturated moiety C2H4 of the cyclopentene ring is added to the chain, it interacts with the conjugated π-system, resulting in a smaller HOMO-LUMO gap. Here, we demonstrate the origin of this interaction and how it can be used to fine tune the absorption energies of this class of dyes.

Synthesis, Optical Properties, and In Vivo Biodistribution Performance of Polymethine Cyanine Fluorophores

Near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dyes showed enhanced properties for biomedical imaging. A systematic modification within the cyanine skeleton has been made through a facile design and synthetic route for optimal bioimaging. Herein, we report the synthesis of 11 NIR cyanine fluorophores and an investigation of their physicochemical properties, optical characteristics, photostability, and in vivo performance. All synthesized fluorophores absorb and emit within 610-817 nm in various solvents. These dyes also showed high molar extinction coefficients ranging from 27,000 to 270,000 cm-1 M-1, quantum yields 0.01 to 0.33, and molecular brightness 208-79,664 cm-1 M-1 in the tested solvents. Photostability data demonstrate that all tested fluorophores 28, 18, 20, 19, 25, and 24 are more photostable than the FDA-approved indocyanine green. In the biodistribution study, most compounds showed tissue-specific targeting to selectively accumulate in the adrenal glands, lymph nodes, or gallbladder while excreted to the hepatobiliary clearance route. Among the tested, compound 23 showed the best targetability to the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Since the safety of cyanine fluorophores is well established, rationally designed cyanine fluorophores established in the current study will expand an inventory of contrast agents for NIR imaging of not only normal tissues but also cancerous regions originating from these organs/tissues.

Tumor-Targeting Near-Infrared Dimeric Heptamethine Cyanine Photosensitizers With an Aromatic Diphenol Linker for Imaging-Guided Cancer Phototherapy

Phototherapy is considered a promising alternative to conventional tumor treatments due to its noninvasive modality and effective therapeutic effect. However, designing a photosensitizer with satisfactory therapeutic effect and high security remains a considerable challenge. Herein, a series of dimeric heptamethine cyanine photosensitizers with an aromatic diphenol linker at the meso position is developed to improve the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). Thanks to the extended conjugate system and high steric hindrance, the screened 26NA-NIR and 44BP-NIR exhibit high PCE (≈35%), bright near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence, excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capability, and improved photostability. Furthermore, their outstanding performance on imaging-guided PDT-PTT synergistic therapy is demonstrated by in vivo and in vitro experiments. In conclusion, this study designs a series of dimeric heptamethine cyanine photosensitizers and presents two compounds for potential clinical applications. The strategy provides a new method to design NIR photosensitizers for imaging-guided cancer treatment.

Water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent heptamethine dye for lymphatic mapping applications

The identification of sentinel lymph node (SLN) is an important method for prognostic evaluation and minimally invasive staging of metastatic tumors. Here, we report a series of near-infrared fluorescent heptamethylamine dyes (series A, B and C) with central cycloalkene ring modified by tyrosine or N-Boc tyrosine via ether linkage. N-Boc tyrosine/tyrosine modification provided enhanced absorption coefficient and fluorescence quantum yield in DMSO, however with slight hypsochromic shift compared to the mother dyes in DMSO. In PBS, series A and B were found to be more fluorescent than ICG and showed brighter images. Compound A1 was found to exhibit the most favorable imaging performance among all the dyes investigated and was selected for in vivo sentinel lymph node mapping experiments in mice. A1 showed faster response and stronger fluorescence emission than FDA-approved ICG. The lymph node tracing with A1 could be assisted by MB staining. Ex vivo imaging of harvested organs indicated that similar metabolic characteristics of A1 and ICG. Overall, A1 is advantageous over ICG and is very promising for non-invasive lymph node imaging.

Topical pH Sensing NIR Fluorophores for Intraoperative Imaging and Surgery of Disseminated Ovarian Cancer

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) aids surgeons with real-time visualization of small cancer foci and borders, which improves surgical and prognostic efficacy of cancer. Despite the steady advances in imaging devices, there is a scarcity of fluorophores available to achieve optimal FGS. Here, 1) a pH-sensitive near-infrared fluorophore that exhibits rapid signal changes in acidic tumor microenvironments (TME) caused by the attenuation of intramolecular quenching, 2) the inherent targeting for cancer based on chemical structure (structure inherent targeting, SIT), and 3) mitochondrial and lysosomal retention are reported. After topical application of PH08 on peritoneal tumor regions in ovarian cancer-bearing mice, a rapid fluorescence increase (< 10 min), and extended preservation of signals (> 4 h post-topical application) are observed, which together allow for the visualization of submillimeter tumors with a high tumor-to-background ratio (TBR > 5.0). In addition, PH08 is preferentially transported to cancer cells via organic anion transporter peptides (OATPs) and colocalizes in the mitochondria and lysosomes due to the positive charges, enabling a long retention time during FGS. PH08 not only has a significant impact on surgical and diagnostic applications but also provides an effective and scalable strategy to design therapeutic agents for a wide array of cancers.

Supramolecular Mitigation of the Cyanine Limit Problem

Currently, there is a substantial research effort to develop near-infrared fluorescent polymethine cyanine dyes for biological imaging and sensing. In water, cyanine dyes with extended conjugation are known to cross over the "cyanine limit" and undergo a symmetry breaking Peierls transition that favors an unsymmetric distribution of π-electron density and produces a broad absorption profile and low fluorescence brightness. This study shows how supramolecular encapsulation of a newly designed series of cationic, cyanine dyes by cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) can be used to alter the π-electron distribution within the cyanine chromophore. For two sets of dyes, supramolecular location of the surrounding CB7 over the center of the dye favors a nonpolar ground state, with a symmetric π-electron distribution that produces a sharpened absorption band with enhanced fluorescence brightness. The opposite supramolecular effect (i.e., broadened absorption and partially quenched fluorescence) is observed with a third set of dyes because the surrounding CB7 is located at one end of the encapsulated cyanine chromophore. From the perspective of enhanced near-infrared bioimaging and sensing in water, the results show how that the principles of host/guest chemistry can be employed to mitigate the "cyanine limit" problem.

A Tumor-Targeting Near-Infrared Heptamethine Cyanine Photosensitizer with Twisted Molecular Structure for Enhanced Imaging-Guided Cancer Phototherapy

In recent years, cancer phototherapy has been extensively studied as noninvasive cancer treatment. To present efficient recognition toward cancer cells, most photosensitizers (PSs) are required to couple with tumor-targeted ligands. Interestingly, the heptamethine cyanine IR780 displays an intrinsic tumor-targeted feature even without modification. However, the photothermal efficacy and photostability of IR780 are not sufficient enough for clinical use. Herein, we involve a twisted structure of tetraphenylethene (TPE) between two molecules of IR780 to improve the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). The obtained molecule T780T shows strong near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and improved PCE (38.5%) in the dispersed state. Also, the photothermal stability and ROS generation capability of T780T at the NIR range (808 nm) are both promoted. In the aqueous phase, the T780T was formulated into uniform nanoaggregates (∼200 nm) with extremely low fluorescence and PTT response, which would reduce in vivo imaging background and side effect of PTT response in normal tissues. After intravenous injection into tumor-bearing mice, the T780T nanoaggregates display high tumor accumulation and thus remarkably inhibit the tumor growth. Moreover, the enhanced photostability of the T780T allows for twice irradiation after one injection and leads to more significant tumor inhibition. In summary, our study presents a tumor-targeted small-molecule PS for efficient cancer therapy and brings a new design of heptamethine cyanine PS for potential clinical applications.

2-((E)-2-((E)-4-Chloro-5-(2-((E)-5-methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-(3-phenylpropyl)indolin-2-ylidene) ethylidene)-1,1-dimethyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-1-ium-3-yl)vinyl)-5-methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-(3-phenylpropyl)-3H-indol-1-ium

A heptamethine fluorophore, ERB-60, has been synthesized efficiently in four steps in a good yield. The structure of this fluorophore consists of an electron-donating group (methoxy), a hydrophobic moiety (phenylpropyl) with a rotatable bond, a quaternary ammonium fragment, and indolium rings at the terminal ends connected via polymethine chain. All these inherent chemical features fine-tuned the optical properties of the fluorophore. This compound was characterized by both 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectra. The optical properties, including molar absorptivity, fluorescence, Stokes’s shift, and quantum yield, were measured in different solvents such as DMSO, DMF, MeCN, i-PrOH, MeOH, and H2O. The wavelengths of maximum absorbance of ERB-60 were found to be in the range of 745–770 nm based on the solvents used. In decreasing order, the maximum wavelength of absorbance of ERB-60 in the tested solvents was DMSO > DMF > i-PrOH > MeOH > MeCN > H2O while the decreasing order of the extinction coefficient was found to be MeCN > MeOH > DMSO > i-PrOH > H2O > DMF. ERB-60 was found to be more photostable than IR-786 iodide, a commercially available dye, and brighter than the FDA-approved dye, indocyanine green (ICG).

Explorations into the Effect of meso-Substituents in Tricarbocyanine Dyes: A Path to Diverse Biomolecular Probes and Materials

Polymethine cyanine dyes have been widely recognized as promising chemical tools for a range of life science and biomedical applications, such as fluorescent staining of DNA and proteins in gel electrophoresis, fluorescence guided surgery, or as ratiometric probes for probing biochemical pathways. The photophysical properties of such dyes can be tuned through the synthetic modification of the conjugated backbone, for example, by altering aromatic cores or by varying the length of the conjugated polymethine chain. Alternative routes to shaping the absorption, emission, and photostability of dyes of this family are centered around the chemical modifications on the polymethine chain. This Minireview aims to discuss strategies for the introduction of substituents in the meso-position, their effect on the photophysical properties of these dyes and some structure-activity correlations which could help overcome common limitations in the state of the art in the synthesis.

Donor acceptor fluorophores: synthesis, optical properties, TD-DFT and cytotoxicity studies

Donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) fluorophores consisting of a donor unit, a π linker, and an acceptor moiety have attracted attention in the last decade. In this study, we report the synthesis, characterization, optical properties, TD-DFT, and cytotoxicity studies of 17 near infrared (NIR) D-π-A analogs which have not been reported so far to the best of our knowledge. These fluorophores have chloroacrylic acid as the acceptor unit and various donor units such as indole, benzothiazole, benzo[e]indole, and quinoline. The fluorophores showed strong absorption in the NIR (700-970 nm) region due to their enhanced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) between chloroacrylic acid and the donor moieties connected with the Vilsmeier-Haack linker. The emission wavelength maxima of the fluorophores were in between 798 and 870 nm. Compound 20 with a 4-quinoline donor moiety showed an emission wavelength above 1000 nm in the NIR II window. The synthesized fluorophores were characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR, and their optical properties were studied. Time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations showed that the charge transfer occurs from the donor groups (indole, benzothiazole, benzo[e]indole, and quinoline) to the acceptor chloroacrylic acid moiety. Fluorophores with [HOMO] to [LUMO+1] transitions were shown to possess a charge separation character. The cytotoxicity of selected fluorophores, 4, 7, 10 and 12 was investigated against breast cancer cell lines and they showed better activity than the anti-cancer agent docetaxel.

Visible-to-NIR-Light Activated Release: From Small Molecules to Nanomaterials

Photoactivatable (alternatively, photoremovable, photoreleasable, or photocleavable) protecting groups (PPGs), also known as caged or photocaged compounds, are used to enable non-invasive spatiotemporal photochemical control over the release of species of interest. Recent years have seen the development of PPGs activatable by biologically and chemically benign visible and near-infrared (NIR) light. These long-wavelength-absorbing moieties expand the applicability of this powerful method and its accessibility to non-specialist users. This review comprehensively covers organic and transition metal-containing photoactivatable compounds (complexes) that absorb in the visible- and NIR-range to release various leaving groups and gasotransmitters (carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide). The text also covers visible- and NIR-light-induced photosensitized release using molecular sensitizers, quantum dots, and upconversion and second-harmonic nanoparticles, as well as release via photodynamic (photooxygenation by singlet oxygen) and photothermal effects. Release from photoactivatable polymers, micelles, vesicles, and photoswitches, along with the related emerging field of photopharmacology, is discussed at the end of the review.

Near-infrared heptamethine cyanines (Cy7): from structure, property to application

Heptamethine cyanine dyes (Cy7) have attracted much attention in the field of biological application due to their unique structure and attractive near infrared (NIR) photophysical properties.