ATTO 488 DBCO is manufactured by AAT Bioquest for research and development use. ATTO 488 is a hydrophilic, rhodamine-based fluorescent dye with exceptional water solubility. It is characterized by strong absorption, a high fluorescence quantum yield, and exceptional photostability, making it highly suitable for advanced fluorescence imaging techniques. The dye exhibits optimal excitation within the 480–515 nm wavelength range, aligning precisely with the 488 nm emission line of the Argon-Ion laser. ATTO 488 is particularly effective for single-molecule detection and super-resolution microscopy methods such as PALM, dSTORM, and STED. Moreover, it is well-suited for flow cytometry (FACS), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and other bioanalytical applications.

The DBCO derivative of ATTO 488 is a highly reactive cycloalkyne optimized for copper-free click chemistry (SPAAC, strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition). This derivative exhibits a significantly higher reaction rate with azides compared to other cyclooctynes and copper-catalyzed click reactions (CuAAC). Uniquely, DBCO does not react with tetrazines, allowing for its use in bioorthogonal reactions alongside trans-cyclooctenes and tetrazines. For applications where the presence of copper is problematic, ATTO 488 DBCO serves as an effective alternative to copper-dependent fluorescent alkynes.