Long-Wavelength Photoconvertible Dimeric BODIPYs for Super-Resolution Single-Molecule Localization Imaging in Near-Infrared Emission

Sulfoxide-bridged dimeric BODIPYs were developed as a new class of long-wavelength photoconvertible fluorophores. Upon visible-light irradiation, a sulfoxide moiety was released to generate the corresponding α,α-directly linked dimeric BODIPYs. The extrusion of SO from sulfoxides was mainly through an intramolecular fashion involving reactive triplet states. By this photoconversion, not only were more than 100 nm red shifts of absorption and emission maxima (up to 648/714 nm) achieved but also stable products with bright fluorescence were produced with high efficiency. The combination of photoactivation and red-shifted excitation/emission offered optimal contrast and eliminated the interference from biological autofluorescence. More importantly, the in situ products of these visible-light-induced reactions demonstrated ideal single-molecule fluorescence properties in the near-infrared region. Therefore, this new photoconversion could be a powerful photoactivation method achieving super-resolution single-molecule localization imaging in a living cell without using UV illumination and cell-toxic additives.