XFD700, manufactured by AAT Bioquest, is a near-infrared fluorescent dye structurally similar to Alexa Fluor™ 700 (Thermo Fisher). It is optimally excited by 633–640 nm laser lines and offers a relatively low fluorescence intensity, making it particularly well-suited for direct imaging of high-abundance targets in both microscopy and flow cytometry. This allows researchers to allocate brighter dyes for detecting lower-abundance antigens, improving overall panel design. XFD700 exhibits excellent aqueous solubility and maintains consistent fluorescence stability across a broad pH range (pH 4–10), ensuring robust and reproducible performance under diverse experimental conditions. Its long-wavelength emission effectively minimizes background autofluorescence, leading to enhanced signal-to-noise ratios, especially in complex biological samples such as tissues. In multicolor flow cytometry panels, XFD700 serves as an ideal option between APC and APC-iFluor® 780, enabling better resolution in complex assays.

The N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) ester of XFD700 is a widely used reagent for the conjugation of this dye to proteins or antibodies. NHS esters react selectively and efficiently with primary amines (such as the side chains of lysine residues or aminosilane-coated surfaces) at pH 7–9, forming stable covalent amide bonds. This property makes XFD700 NHS ester an excellent choice for labeling proteins, amine-modified oligonucleotides, and other amine-containing molecules.