Patent ID: 8778073

Claim:
A phthalocyanine dye with extended conjugation comprising: one or both of a phthalocyanine component and a naphthalocyanine component; and at least one water soluble substituent on an aryl group of the phthalocyanine dye, wherein the extended conjugation of the phthalocyanine dye comprises one of (a) at least three benzene moieties of the component each being joined to an aryl group indirectly using an alkynyl linkage, and (c) a combination of (a) and (b), wherein (b) is a benzene moiety of the component being directly joined to a benzene moiety of another of the components in a direct biphenyl linkage or shared between the respective components to form an oligomer of the components, the extended conjugation shifting absorption of the phthalocyanine dye to greater than 800 nm.