Light-Emitting Biomarker

A compound of general formula (I):

• S—B-A
• in which:
• S represents a labile structure that can be activated by a physical, chemical or biological phenomenon;
• B is a reactive branch, of which the chemical structure is such that the activation of the labile structure S induces its intramolecular rearrangement in a suitable form for releasing a molecule A−;
• and
• A is a chromophore of formula (IIa):
• in which:
• ⋄ symbolizes the covalent bond with B;
• a) R1, R2 and R3 represent, independently of one another, a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl radical, an amino radical, a thio radical, a halogen atom, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon-based chain chosen from an alkyl radical, an alkoxy radical, a heteroalkyl radical, a cycloalkyl radical, a heterocycloalkyl radical, an ether radical, an alkenyl radical, an alkynyl radical, an alkylamino radical, a dialkylamino radical, an alkylsilyl, dialkylsilyl or trialkylsilyl radical, an alkylsiloxy, dialkylsiloxy or trialkylsiloxy radical, an alkylthio radical, a haloalkyl radical, a C6-C30 aromatic ring, chosen from an aryl radical, a heteroaryl radical, an aralkyl radical, substituted where appropriate;
• b) R2 and R3 may be together to form an oxo unit;
• c) R1 and R2 may be linked so as to form a C4-C8 ring fused with the dioxetane ring, where appropriate interrupted by one or more heteroatoms chosen from O, N and S, and possibly being substituted by one or more radicals such as defined previously in a) for R1, R2 and R3,
• d) R2 and R3 or R1 and Ar may be linked so as to form a C4-C20 spiro ring with the carbon of the dioxetane entity which bears them, this ring possibly being monocyclic or polycyclic, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic, fused or unfused, and where appropriate incorporating one or more heteroatoms chosen from O, N and S and optionally being substituted by one or more substituents such as defined previously in a) for R1, R2 and R3;
• Ar represents a C6-C30 arylene radical, optionally substituted by one or more substituents chosen from a hydroxyl radical, a halogen atom, an oxo unit, an amino radical, an alkylamino radical, a dialkylamino radical, a thio radical, an alkylsilyl, dialkylsilyl or trialkylsilyl radical, an alkylsiloxy, dialkylsiloxy or trialkylsiloxy radical, an alkyl radical, an alkoxy radical, an alkylthio radical, a carboxy radical, a formyl radical, an alkyl ester radical, an alkyl ketone radical, a haloalkyl radical, an aryl radical, an aryl ester radical, an aryl ketone radical, an arylamino radical, a diarylamino radical;
• and
• X represents O, NH or S;
• and its derivatives thereof.