Cyanine Modification Tuned for Amine Photorelease

Cyanines are emerging as useful agents for photoreleasing biological compounds because of their capability of utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light. Another benefit is their ability to self-sensitize to produce singlet oxygen for the release of aryl amines, a process that has not been as feasible in the past. Here, we highlight the paper by Schnermann et al. (https://doi.org/10.1111/php.13090), which reports on a cyanine conjugate for heterolytic photocleavage of aryl amines. This paper is timely-delving into a photorelease mechanism involving a domino rearrangement and β-elimination triggered by NIR light.