Mitochondrial dynamics tracking with iridium(III) complexes

•Recent advances on achieving the mitochondrial selectivity of Ir(III) complexes are provided.•Strategies to achieve mitochondrial specificity are summarized.•Some applications for Ir(III) complexes in mitochondrial dynamics tracking are presented. Since the discovery of mitochondrial dynamics, demand for dyes able to track this process has been a great. In contrast to static imaging, dynamic tracking requires superior photostability, low cytotoxicity and high resistance to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as appreciable tolerance to environmental changes. Recently, a variety of phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes have been found to localize in mitochondria and their applications as mitochondrial dynamics trackers have been assessed in cell monolayers, 3D MCSs and live animals. The examples presented here demonstrate that Ir(III) complexes constitute ideal candidates to meet the challenges of this topic.