2026/02/11 by David Dunlop, Rebecca Strada, Peter Šebej · 1 voice
Chemistry · Materials Science · Engineering · #Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection #Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials #Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/adom.202503219
openalex publication_date 2026/02/11 · openalex created_date 2026/02/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract Cyanines boast high and tunable absorption and emission. Both properties facilitate their application as fluorescent dyes in bioimaging, diagnostics, and materials science through terminal group modification and chain extension. In addition, recent studies have implied contrasting substituent effects across cyanine lengths, revealing untapped potential for their rational design. However, leveraging substituent effects on the polymethine backbone of cyanines requires reconciling these findings in a systematic framework for predicting functional outcomes; otherwise, this approach may be dismissed as an encumbrance. This perspective proposes a comprehensive framework that classifies cyanines into two classes, namely (4 n+ 1)‐ and (4 n –1)‐polymethines. In these two classes with unevenly distributed frontier molecular orbitals, the model predicts opposing spectral shifts and reactivity patterns in response to substitution. These results should encourage researchers to exploit substituent effects in the rational design of cyanine‐based dyes and functional materials with novel photochemical applications.