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Abstract
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Cyanine (polymethine) dyes belong to a group of organic compounds which have a
large conjugated p-system. A typical polymethine dye molecule consists of 2 nitrogencontaining
heterocycles connected by an unsaturated carbon chain, the polymethine
chain. Polymethine dyes are usually divided into mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta- and
hepta-methine dyes according to the length of the chain. The dyes are used in photography,
1 photodynamic therapy,2 proteomics,3 and biomolecular labeling.4–8 Polymethine
dyes are also highly fluorescent and they absorb and emit light mostly in the visible
region of the optical spectrum, as a function of the chain length
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