LAUSR

Hemicyanine dyes, with a tunable optical site and high wavelength tailorability, are of great importance in the field of sensing and diagnosis. With the first discovery of the near-infrared (NIR, 650–900 nm) fluorescent dyes CS and HD by our group, remarkable progress has been made in the development of hemicyanine-based probes for in vivo imaging and detecting. In this review, we summarize the key contributions made by our group in developing long-wavelength (650–1700 nm) hemicyanines and using them to construct functional probes. Finally, potential drawbacks and prospects of hemicyanine dyes/probes are also discussed.