Conjugated systems form the basis of chromophores, which are light-absorbing parts of a molecule that can cause a compound to be colored. Such chromophores are often present in various organic compounds and sometimes present in polymers that are colored or glow in the dark. Chromophores often consist of a series of conjugated bonds and/or ring systems, commonly aromatic, which can include C–C, C=C, C=O, or N=N bonds.
Conjugated chromophores are found in many organic compounds including azo dyes (also artificial food additives), compounds in fruits and vegetables (lycopene and anthocyanidins), photoreceptors of the eye, and some pharmaceutical compounds such as the following:
Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (PDots) are assembled from hydrophobic fluorescent conjugated polymers, along with amphiphilic polymers to provide water solubility. Pdots are important labels for single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, based on high brightness, lack of blinking or dark fraction, and slow photobleaching.