Silicon-substituted Xanthene Dyes and Their Unique Photophysical Properties for Fluorescent Probes.

Silicon-substituted xanthene dyes, with Si in place of the O atom at the xanthene 10-position, are practically useful as far-red to near-infrared fluorophores. Many fluorescent probes based on them have recently been reported. These fluorophores retain the advantages of typical xanthene dyes and also show unique properties suitable for applications such as multi-color and super-resolution imaging.