A Dual-Mode Near-Infrared Optical and Photoacoustic Imaging Agent Based on a Low Energy Absorbing Ytterbium Complex.

Near-infrared (NIR) luminescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging have attracted increasing attention for the real-time monitoring of biological samples due to high sensitivity, resolution, and pronounced signal detection depth, respectively. For improved contrast, both techniques require imaging agents possessing high absorption in the red-NIR range. Herein, we took advantage of a ternary complex formed with the anionic ytterbium(III)