Presentation Date: Feb 14, 2026
AGSA Abstract
Aza-boron-dipyrromethene dyes (Aza-BODIPY) are a class of near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores known for their highly tunable photophysical characteristics and have found various applications in photovoltaics, bioimaging, and photodynamic therapy. In this study, we synthesized and characterized a series of 1,3,5,7-tetraphenyl-aza-BODIPY dyes functionalized with electron-donating or withdrawing groups at the para-positions of the phenyl rings on either the 1,7- or 3,5-positions. The photophysical properties, including molar absorptivity, fluorescence quantum yield, and Stokes shift, were found to depend significantly on both the electronic nature (donating/withdrawing) and positioning (1,7- vs. 3,5-) of the substituents. Furthermore, we selected one of the optimized aza-BODIPY derivatives bearing an isothiocyanate (-N=C=S) functional group for further bioconjugation. This reactive handle was used to covalently link the fluorophore to a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and glucosamine. The TKI is known to selectively target the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), which is overexpressed on colorectal cancer cells. The glucosamine is expected to enhance the solubility and cellular uptake of the conjugate. This conjugate is currently being evaluated for its binding ability to EGFR via kinase binding assay.
