Pyrrolidone derivatives, oligomers and polymers

A method of tracing moieties and fluids in various systems by conducting tests, using in vitro applications, ex vivo applications or in vivo biological injection, topical applications or any customary pharmaceutical applications to such system, then by following the fluorescence in such system or test using visual or imaging apparatus in plants, animals or humans, by measuring fluorescence either qualitatively or quantitatively, and by monitoring or detecting the location of the moiety by its fluorescence associated with a composition comprising a compound having a fluorescent cyclic amide, cyclic urea, cyclic urethane, cyclic amino amide or cyclic amino urea compound of the formula

• wherein:
• Q is the residue of a compound containing a primary amine that provides the nitrogen in the ring as shown in Formula (I), and is (C1-C20 alkyl) amine, (C1-C20 hydroxylalkyl) amine, (C1-C20 alkyl ether) amines, C6-C14 aryl or (C6-C-14 aryl C1-C4 alkyl) amines;
• or X—Z—N— where X is H, —OH, —NH2, —SH, —CO2H and Z is (C1-C18 alkyl), (C6-C12)aryl, (C6-C12)arylene, (C6-C12)alkylarylene, (C1-C20 alkyl)amine;
• (C1-C20 hydroxylalkyl) amine;
• (C1-C20 alkyl) etheramines;
• benzylamine;
• or
• where R2 is —NH2, —OH, or —C(O)OH, and R3 and R4 are independently —H or C1-C4 alkyl or —CH2OH;
• a dendrimer, dendron or dendritic polymer, each having primary amines on its surface;
• a fatty/lipophilic entity with a primary amine, which when cyclized can form an amphiphilic surfactant that will lead to fluorescent micelles, a protein having a primary amine, or any of the amino acids;
• W is N, O, S or (CH2)n where n is 0 or 1;
• R2 is —C(O)OH;
• —C(O)O(C1-C4 alkyl);
• —C(O)—NHR5 wherein R5 is C1-C4 alkyl or an amido group that can be a moiety on a polymer;
• and
• m is 1-4;
• and
• with the proviso that the compound of Formula (I) fluoresces after excitation at least 10× the value of its base compound wherein the emissions are in the visible near infrared region which is QH2 not having such cyclic amides, cyclic urea, cyclic urethanes, cyclic amino amide residues present;
• and
• with the proviso that the molecular weight of the compound of Formula (I) is not greater than 100 KDa and the size of the compound of Formula (I) is not greater than 15 nm.