In this review, we
will summarize our recent progress in the design
and application of novel organic sensors with emission in the near-infrared
region (600–900 nm). By coupling different functional groups
with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) segments,
new probes are developed to achieve a large Stokes shift, high sensitivity,
and selectivity and to tune the emission toward the near-infrared
region. The developed probes exhibit attractive optical properties
for bioimaging and environmental science applications. In addition,
we further discuss the photophysical properties of ESIPT dyes and
how their fluorescence could be affected by structural/environmental
factors, which should be considered during the development of robust
ESIPT-based fluorescence probes. Their potential applications as imaging
reagents are illustrated for intracellular membranes, mitochondria,
lysosomes, and some biomolecules.