Water-soluble BODIPY and aza-BODIPY dyes: synthetic progress and applications

Abstract

In recent years, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) and boron-azadipyrromethene (aza-BODIPY) dyes have attracted considerable multidisciplinary attention due to their diverse applications. By introducing various hydrophilic groups, such as quaternary ammonium, sulfonate or oligo-ethyleneglycol moieties into the BODIPY core, the solubilities of these dyes in aqueous solution can be greatly improved while maintaining their high fluorescence quantum yields. Accordingly, applying these fluorescent dyes in aqueous systems to areas such as chemosensors, biomacromolecule labeling, bio-imaging and photodynamic therapy has been achieved. In this article, the recent progress on the synthesis, optical properties and application of water-soluble BODIPY dyes and aza-BODIPY dyes is reviewed.

Key words： boron-dipyrromethene; boron-azadipyrromethene; synthetic progress; applications

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21176184) and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents by the Ministry of Education (NCET-09-0584).

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