“…A solution of inner salt 13 (303 mg, 1 mmol) Vilsmeier‐Haack reagent 9 [8] (180 mg, 0.5 mmol), and sodium acetate (82 mg, 1 mmol) in acetic anhydride (20 mL) was heated under reflux for 8 h, then cooled and treated with ether (30 mL). The resultant precipitate of cyanine 14 was crystallized from methanol/ether; yield 115 mg (30%); mp > 300°C; 1 H NMR (deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide): δ 1.82 (m, 14H), 2.83 (t, J = 7 Hz, 4H), 4.01 (t, J = 7 Hz, 4H), 6.20 (d, J = 13 Hz, 2H), 6.88 (d, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 7.29 (d, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 7.42 (t, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 7.73 (t, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 7.84 (d, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 8.04 (d, J = 7 Hz, 2H), 8.37 (d, J = 13 Hz, 2H); nir: λ max in methanol, 1013 nm.…”