Novel naphthalimide derivatives with near-infrared emission: synthesis via photochemical cycloaromatization, fluorescence in solvents and living cell

In this Letter, a pair of novel naphthalimide derivatives with long-wavelength emission (>600 nm) and larger Stokes shift (>140 nm) have been developed through the photochemical cycloaromatization, in which intramolecular radical-induced 1,3-aromatic hydrogen transfer might be occurred. Cell uptake experiments showed that dye 2 could be used as a potential NIR fluorescence imaging agent.