Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for Targeted Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Optical imaging has emerged as an important tool for fundamental research and clinical practice, as the signals emitted from biological samples can provide abundant molecular information correlated with physiological and pathophysiological processes. Compared with conventional optical imaging that typically relied on visible light (400-650 nm), near-infrared (NIR, 650-1700 nm) optical imaging enables deep photon penetration in tissue, lowers photodamage to biological samples, and minimizes background autofluorescence originating from endogenous molecules. As such, designing and synthesizing NIR fluorescent probes would provide feasibility for deep-tissue and real-time high-sensitivity monitoring of diverse biological processes and analytes in their native environments.

A wide range of NIR fluorescent probes, including organic dyes, semiconducting polymers, carbon nanodots, metal nanoclusters, semiconductor quantum dots, and upconversion materials, have been constructed. Further attachment of targeting moieties to these NIR fluorescent probes or intrinsic targeting abilities would endow them with subcellular organelles and/or cancer cell targeting capability, which is very beneficial for in situ biosensing, bioimaging and precise therapy. This Special Issue of Molecules aims to collect research articles, communications or reviews exploring the achievements in NIR fluorescence-based probes or theranostic agents.

Dr. Hong Huang
Dr. Xiaohuan Huang
Guest Editors

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