AZDye 488 Azide Plus
Improved 488 dye to label with reduced copper concentrations

Size | Catalog No. | Price |
---|---|---|
1 mg | BCFA-236-1 | € 200,00 |
5 mg | BCFA-236-5 | € 650,00 |
Chemical Properties
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Molecular Formula
C29H30N10O10S2
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Shelf Life
12 months unopened after receipt
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Storage Conditions
-20 °C, dark
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Molecular Weight
754.75 g/mol
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Purity
≥ 95% (HPLC)
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Physical State
orange to red solid
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CAS Number
n.a.
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Excitation (max)
495 nm
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Emission (max)
517 nm
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Ɛ (max)
73.000 cm-1M-1
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Solubility
H2O, DMSO, DMF
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Preparation/Handling
For a 10 mM solution add 132 μL to 1 mg.
For a 10 mM solution add 662 μL to 5 mg.
Product Information
Enhanced Fluorescent Probe for Bioorthogonal Labeling via Click Chemistry
AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus is a green-fluorescent, water-soluble azide probe optimized for copper-catalyzed and copper-free click chemistry. It enables rapid, efficient, and low-background labeling of alkyne-functionalized biomolecules in live-cell imaging, flow cytometry, and biochemical assays.
AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus is a next-generation fluorescent azide probe designed for high-performance bioconjugation. It reacts with terminal alkynes via Copper(I)-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) and with strained cyclooctynes via copper-free click chemistry, forming stable triazole linkages under mild conditions.

CuAAC reaction between AZDye 488 Azide plus and alkyne functionalized molecule
This variant introduces a copper-chelating system that enhances CuAAC efficiency by forming active copper complexes. As a result, AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus functions both as a reactant and as a catalytic enhancer, reducing copper requirements and improving labeling performance.
Advantages of AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus
- Reduced Copper Requirements: The built-in chelating system lowers the need for external copper, minimizing cytotoxicity in sensitive biological systems.
- Accelerated Reaction Kinetics: Enables faster and more complete conjugation with alkyne-functionalized targets.
- High Sensitivity: Ideal for detecting low-abundance biomolecules in complex samples.
- Superior Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Delivers sharp fluorescence with minimal background interference.
- Copper-Free Compatibility: Compatible with copper-sensitive biomolecules and workflows, preserving enzyme activity and cell viability.
Applications of AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus
- Live-Cell and Fixed Sample Labeling
Suitable for direct imaging in cellular systems where long-lasting fluorescence and minimal toxicity are essential. - Flow Cytometry and High-Content Screening
Excitation at 488 nm provides strong signal clarity for quantitative analysis. - Biochemical Assays
High quantum yield and low non-specific binding improve assay precision. - Aqueous Labeling
Water-soluble formulation supports efficient conjugation in aqueous buffers without organic solvents.
To complement AZDye™ 488 Azide Plus, baseclick now offers DBCO-AF488, a copper-free fluorophore for bioorthogonal labeling. DBCO-AF488 enables efficient conjugation to azide-functionalized biomolecules without the need for copper catalysts, making it ideal for live-cell applications and workflows sensitive to metal ions.
LITERATURE
Engineering of cell-surface receptors for analysis of receptor internalization and detection of receptor-specific glycosylation, C. H. Lee et al., 2024, Chem. Sci., Vol. 15(2), p. 555-565.
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SC05054H
In-depth immunometabolic profiling by measuring single-cell protein translation inhibition via bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (SCENITH-BONCAT), F. Vrieling et al., 2023, bioRxiv, 2023-08.