Enhancing the Brightness of Red-emitting Fluorophores in Aqueous Solution by Molecular Encapsulation

Abstract

Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy in biomolecular environments are usually performed in aqueous solution and preferably using red-emitting dyes. However, water quenches their fluorescence. We explore in this contribution how host-guest interactions between red-emitting fluorophores and macrocycles such as cyclodextrins and cucurbiturils can prevent quenching by shielding the dyes from water, thereby enhancing their brightness. We successfully apply this strategy in super-resolution imaging.