Chinese Academy of Sciences developed high-strength, high-stability fluorescent dyes

Recently, Xu Zhaochao, a researcher at the Biotechnology Department of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, used aziridine as a fluorophore electron donor to effectively inhibit the formation of intramolecular charge-transfer states (TICT) by quenching fluorescence and photobleaching of dyes, and obtained high fluorescence. A new range of fluorescent dyes for strength and light stability. Related results were published in the American Chemical Society.

Fluorescent dyes are widely used in biomolecular labeling to track biomolecules in a WYSIWYG manner and to study the location and function of functional biomolecules. The light intensity and photostability of fluorescent dyes are the primary factors affecting the quality of imaging, especially the rapid development of single-molecule fluorescence imaging supported by ultra-high resolution technology, which puts higher requirements on the light intensity and light stability of fluorescent dyes.

The research team combined the experimental and theoretical calculations to convert the electron donor dialkylamine commonly used in fluorescent dyes into a three-membered aziridine, which is effective due to the large ring tension and steric hindrance of aziridine. The formation of a charge transfer state in the molecule after the dye is excited by light is prevented, thereby greatly improving the fluorescence intensity and photostability.