Two energy transfer cassettes that exhibit a large pseudo Stokes' shift (up to 400 nm) due to efficient through-bond energy transfer (up to 99%) have been constructed. Selective binding of Fe(III) with the donor entity significantly suppresses the excitation energy transfer resulting in fluorescence quenching in aqueous solution and in living cells.

The synthesis and characterization of a highly photostable bromo-substituted BODIPY dye (I) fused-ring-expanded with thienopyrrole moieties is reported. The results of MTT assays and flow cytometric analyses in living HeLa cells demonstrate that I has a high singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ = 0.63) and exhibits photocytotoxicity upon irradiation in the NIR region making it potentially suitable for use in PDT.

Naphtho[b]-fused BODIPYs have been facilely synthesized via Suzuki-Miyaura-Knoevenagel reaction between mono-iodo-BODIPY or 2,6-diiodo-BODIPY with (2-formylphenyl)boronic acid. This one-pot reaction represents a very straightforward approach for tuning the absorption and emission of BODIPYs in the red visible/NIR range.