New trends in near-infrared fluorophores for bioimaging.

This review summarizes progress in the field of near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores achieved during the last decade from the viewpoint of chemistry. Those compounds are of wide interest in bioanalysis and bioimaging, such as in vivo fluorescence imaging. Particular focus is placed on the recent developments of BODIPY and rhodamine derivatives, which belong to the most evolved NIR fluorophores. The data compiled in this review, including the chemical structures and optical properties of all compounds introduced, provide readers of this article with an overview of the field of NIR fluorophores.