Recent Advances in Organometallic NIR Iridium(III) Complexes for Detection and Therapy
Shaozhen Jing,
Xiaolei Wu,
Dou Niu,
Jing Wang,
Chung-Hang Leung,
Wanhe Wang
Affiliations
Shaozhen Jing
Xi’an Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi’an 710072, China
Xiaolei Wu
Xi’an Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi’an 710072, China
Dou Niu
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
Jing Wang
Xi’an Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi’an 710072, China
Chung-Hang Leung
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
Wanhe Wang
Xi’an Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi’an 710072, China
Iridium(III) complexes are emerging as a promising tool in the area of detection and therapy due to their prominent photophysical properties, including higher photostability, tunable phosphorescence emission, long-lasting phosphorescence, and high quantum yields. In recent years, much effort has been devoted to develop novel near-infrared (NIR) iridium(III) complexes to improve signal-to-noise ratio and enhance tissue penetration. In this review, we summarize different classes of organometallic NIR iridium(III) complexes for detection and therapy, including cyclometalated ligand-enabled NIR iridium(III) complexes and NIR-dye-conjugated iridium(III) complexes. Moreover, the prospects and challenges for organometallic NIR iridium(III) complexes for targeted detection and therapy are discussed.
