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2d ago

MIT Chemists Report Stabilized Borenium Dyes With Bright Red-to-Near‑Infrared Emission

Counter‑ion tuning induces exciton coupling to raise red‑region quantum yields into the 30% range.

MIT chemists have created a fluorescent, boron-containing molecule that is stable when exposed to air and can emit light in the red and near-infrared range. The dye can be made into crystals (shown in these images), films, or powders. The images at top were taken in ambient light and the images at bottom in UV light.

Overview

  • Published in Nature Chemistry, the work stabilizes reactive borenium ions using carbodicarbene ligands and engineered counter‑ions.
  • Exciton coupling between the borenium cation and selected anions shifts absorption and emission toward the infrared while boosting efficiency.
  • The team produced materials as crystals, films, powders, and colloidal suspensions that operate in the red/near‑IR range and resist environmental degradation.
  • Researchers plan near‑term cell‑level imaging studies with collaborators at MIT and the Broad Institute, with biomedical use remaining at the laboratory stage.
  • They are pursuing deeper near‑infrared emission by incorporating additional boron atoms and designing new carbodicarbenes to preserve stability, with support from the Beckman Foundation and NIH.