iFluor® IRDye 800RS is a near-infrared fluorescent dye engineered for nucleic acid labeling applications. It exhibits high water solubility but reduced salt tolerance compared to iFluor® IRDye 800 CW. The increased hydrophobicity of iFluor® IRDye 800RS enhances its performance in organic solvent-based reactions while maintaining sufficient aqueous solubility, making it particularly suitable for conjugation to amino-modified oligonucleotides and nucleic acids.

The NHS ester derivative of iFluor® IRDye 800RS undergoes efficient nucleophilic substitution with primary and secondary amines, enabling stable covalent attachment to amino-functionalized DNA and RNA. This chemical modification supports a range of fluorescence-based applications, including hybridization assays, optical imaging, and molecular diagnostics. Labeled nucleic acids can be readily purified via reverse-phase chromatography, facilitating the isolation of high-purity conjugates with minimal unreacted dye.

The physicochemical properties of iFluor® IRDye 800RS provide a controlled balance between aqueous and organic solubility, optimizing its utility in diverse labeling strategies requiring near-infrared fluorescence. iFluor® IRDye 800RS, manufactured by AAT Bioquest, is structurally identical to IRDye 800RS (IRDye® is the trademark of LI-COR).