Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging (FI) has become a research hotspot because of its distinctive imaging properties: high temporal resolution and sensitivity. Especially in recent years, with the research focus of NIR FI shifting to the NIR-II region, which has better imaging performance, it is expected that NIR FI will find significant applications in the field of in vivo imaging. One of the most crucial directions for research into NIR-II FI is the promotion of novel NIR-II fluorophores with superior imaging properties. The remarkable advantages of organic NIR-II fluorophores in biosafety make them more promising than other fluorescent materials in certain applications. But serious defects in their fluorescence performance preclude particular imaging effects and limit imaging functions. In this review, we summarize and discuss the recent leading literature on overcoming the defects of organic NIR-II fluorophores, demonstrating the potential for further improving their imaging properties. In addition, we cover the functions of NIR-II FI that are promoted by the development of fluorophores, notably including its outlook on molecular imaging in vivo.

近红外 (NIR) 荧光成像 (FI) 因其独特的成像特性而成为研究热点：高时间分辨率和灵敏度。特别是近年来，随着NIR FI的研究重点向成像性能更好的NIR-II区域转移，预计NIR FI将在体内成像领域得到重要应用。成像。NIR-II FI 研究最重要的方向之一是推广具有卓越成像特性的新型 NIR-II 荧光团。有机 NIR-II 荧光团在生物安全方面的显着优势使其在某些应用中比其他荧光材料更有前景。但其荧光性能的严重缺陷妨碍了特定的成像效果并限制了成像功能。在这篇综述中，我们总结并讨论了最近关于克服有机 NIR-II 荧光团缺陷的主要文献，展示了进一步改善其成像特性的潜力。此外，我们还介绍了由荧光团的发展所促进的 NIR-II FI 的功能，特别是其对体内分子成像的展望。