What color is Alexa Fluor 647?

Properties of Alexa Fluor 647

Alexa Fluor 647 is a fluorescent dye commonly used for labeling proteins, nucleic acids, and other biological molecules in various scientific applications, including microscopy, flow cytometry, and western blotting.

Chemical Composition and Characteristics

The structure of Alexa Fluor 647 consists of a sulfonated rhodamine derivative which contributes to its solubility and photostability.

Its molecular weight is approximately 1250 g/mol.

Absorption and Emission Spectra

The dye has an excitation maximum at about 650 nm, making it well suited for use with red laser sources.

Alexa Fluor 647 emits in the red region of the spectrum with an emission maximum at approximately 668 nm, thus appearing red to far-red in color when viewed through appropriate filters.

Applications

Because of its photostable and bright properties, Alexa Fluor 647 is widely used for staining in confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, especially in applications where it is necessary to distinguish it from other fluorophores with shorter emission wavelengths.

It is frequently conjugated to antibodies and other proteins for use in immunofluorescence and related techniques.

The photostability of Alexa Fluor 647 makes it an excellent choice for applications requiring prolonged illumination and observation.

With high fluorescence quantum yield and molecular extinction coefficient, Alexa Fluor 647 demonstrates superior brightness which contributes to its effectiveness in low concentration detection.

Back to blog