CF® Dye Maleimides are thiol-reactive fluorescent dyes. Maleimides are commonly used to label proteins on free thiol groups. CF® dyes are Biotium's line of next-generation fluorescent dyes with advantages in brightness, photostability, and conjugate specificity compared to other fluorescent dyes. 405 nm-excitable green fluorescent CF®450 dye has excitation/emission at 450/538 nm.