TF4 is designed to be a superior fluorophore alternative to Alexa Fluor® 594, ROX and Texas Red® (Alexa Fluor® 594 and Texas Red® are the Trademarks of Invitrogen). TF4 has (a). stronger fluorescence intensity; (b). higher conjugation yield; and (c). longer shelf life. Additionally their fluorescence is pH-independent from pH 3 to 11. These characteristics make this new dye family a superior alternative to ROX, Alexa Fluor® 594 and Texas Red®. TF4 phosphoramidite enables the oligo labeling with the similar spectral properties and photostability of Alexa Fluor® 594, ROX and Texas Red® using the well established phosphoramidite chemistry. In pairing with our Tide Quencher™ 4 (TQ4), a variety of FRET peptides and nucleotides can be developed for detecting proteases and molecular beacons with enhanced sensitivity and stability using TF4 dyes.