5-Carboxy-fluorescein

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is a fluorescein-derived amino acid derivative featuring a xanthene fluorophore substituted with a carboxylic acid handle at the 5-position, rather than a free amino acid backbone with separate amino and carboxyl functional groups. The molecule contains a conjugated aromatic system typical of fluorescein, along with the additional carboxyl group that can participate in esterification or amide coupling chemistry for attachment to amines or other biomolecular scaffolds, while the lactone/phenolate equilibrium of fluorescein governs its pH-dependent optical properties. In chemical biology and analytical workflows, 5-Carboxy-fluorescein is employed as a fluorescent labeling reagent or as a precursor for conjugates that provide a spectroscopic tag for tracking, imaging, and quantifying labeled species.

Designed for biological research and industrial applications, not intended for individual clinical or medical purposes.
5-Carboxy-fluorescein(CAS 76823-03-5)

CAT No: CP27453

CAS No:76823-03-5

Synonyms/Alias:5-Carboxyfluorescein;76823-03-5;5-FAM;4-carboxyfluorescein;4(5)-Carboxyfluorescein;3',6'-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-3H-spiro[isobenzofuran-1,9'-xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;3',6'-dihydroxy-3-oxospiro[2-benzofuran-1,9'-xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;AB2MM66GSF;MFCD00036874;3',6'-dihydroxy-3-oxo-3H-spiro[2-benzofuran-1,9'-xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;CHEBI:51617;DTXSID30227642;Spiro(isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-(9H)xanthene)-5-carboxylic acid, 3',6-dihydroxy-3-oxo-;5-Carboxyfluorescein (Technical Grade);3',6'-DIHYDROXY-3-OXOSPIRO(ISOBENZOFURAN-1(3H),9'-(9H)XANTHENE)-5-CARBOXYLIC ACID;5-Carboxyfluorescein; 3',6'-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-spiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-[9H]xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;SPIRO(ISOBENZOFURAN-1(3H),9'-(9H)XANTHENE)-5-CARBOXYLIC ACID, 3',6'-DIHYDROXY-3-OXO-;3',6'-dihydroxy-3-oxo-3H-spiro(2-benzofuran-1,9'-xanthene)-5-carboxylic acid;3',6'-dihydroxy-3-oxospiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-[9H]xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;UNII-AB2MM66GSF;SCHEMBL20095;BIDD:GT0758;5 - FAM;DTXCID80150133;GLXC-10846;BCP22613;5-Carboxyfluorescein, 99% (HPLC);AKOS015901359;FC19773;5(6)-carboxyfluorescein, mixed isomers;AC-32459;AS-32304;BP-30031;HY-66022;PD012213;SY057359;C2477;Q27122687;Z1139186537;5-Carboxyfluorescein, BioReagent, suitable for fluorescence, >=95% (HPLC);3',6'-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-spiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-[9H]xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;5-FAM;3',6'-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-spiro[isobenzofuran-1,9'-xanthene]-5-carboxylic acid;636-503-2;691-482-7;

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M.F/Formula
C21H12O7
M.W/Mr.
376.3
Purity
97%min

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is a fluorescein-based dye bearing a carboxylic acid handle that enables covalent coupling to amines, hydrazides, or other nucleophiles via standard carboxyl-activation chemistries. Its xanthene chromophore provides strong visible fluorescence, making it widely used as a fluorescent tag for labeling, tracking, and assay development in chemical biology and materials research. The carboxyl functionality also supports incorporation into linker architectures for conjugate construction, including dye-labeled peptides and biomolecule probes.

1. Fluorescent Labeling Probes

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is used to generate fluorescent labeling reagents for chemical biology workflows where sensitive optical readout is required. Researchers commonly couple the carboxyl group to biomolecule scaffolds (e.g., amine-containing peptides, proteins, or polymer backbones) to create dye conjugates for monitoring binding, localization, or reaction progress in vitro. The dye's established fluorescein emission behavior supports fluorescence-based detection in standard plate-reader and fluorescence microscopy formats, while the carboxyl handle provides a practical attachment point for building defined conjugates rather than relying on nonspecific adsorption.

2. Peptide And Biomolecule Conjugation

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is frequently selected for site-specific or controlled dye installation on peptide and biomolecule constructs during probe and reagent development. The carboxylic acid functionality enables coupling strategies that attach the fluorophore through a linker to peptide N-termini or side-chain amines (or to other nucleophilic partners depending on the conjugation design), supporting preparation of fluorescent peptide standards and fluorescently tagged reagents used in binding assays and mechanistic studies. This product is particularly useful when a stable, covalently attached fluorescein label is needed for downstream purification and comparative analytical workflows.

3. Analytical Standards And Assay Development

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is applied as a fluorescent reference material for method development and instrument qualification in analytical and assay settings. In practice, teams use fluorescein derivatives to establish calibration curves, verify fluorescence response over time, and benchmark labeling efficiency or signal stability for fluorescence-based assays. The presence of the carboxyl group also allows preparation of conjugated standards that better mimic the chemical environment of labeled targets, improving relevance when optimizing detection conditions for dye-tagged biomolecules.

4. Polymer And Surface Functionalization

5-Carboxy-fluorescein is used to introduce fluorescent functionality into polymer systems and functional surfaces for imaging and materials characterization. By coupling the carboxyl group into polymer backbones or onto surface-reactive linkers, researchers create dye-doped or dye-conjugated materials that enable visualization of coatings, diffusion, or surface interactions under fluorescence microscopy. This application benefits from the dye's strong optical signal and the carboxyl handle, which supports integration into material synthesis and post-functionalization workflows where covalent attachment is preferred over physical blending.

Size
100 mg;500 mg;
InChI
InChI=1S/C21H12O7/c22-11-2-5-15-17(8-11)27-18-9-12(23)3-6-16(18)21(15)14-4-1-10(19(24)25)7-13(14)20(26)28-21/h1-9,22-23H,(H,24,25)
InChI Key
NJYVEMPWNAYQQN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Canonical SMILES
C1=CC2=C(C=C1C(=O)O)C(=O)OC23C4=C(C=C(C=C4)O)OC5=C3C=CC(=C5)O

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