Molecular sensors, method and kit for the detection and quantification of carbon dioxide

Process for the detection of CO2 in a sample comprising the steps of:

• supplying a reagent comprising a reactive moiety toward carbon dioxide and a dye moiety Dy, wherein the dye moiety Dy has first optical and/or spectral properties;
• contacting said sample with said reagent so that the reagent reacts with carbon dioxide to lead to a reacted agent, wherein the dye moiety Dy has second optical and/or spectral properties different from the first optical and/or spectral properties;
• and
• detecting one or both of the first and the second optical and/or spectral properties of the dye moiety Dy,
• wherein said reagent is a compound of Formula (I′)
• and the reacted reagent is a compound of Formula (II′):
• Wherein:
• Dy denotes a dye moiety having first optical properties in the compound of Formula (I′) and second optical properties in the compound of Formula (II′),
• Preact denotes a phosphorous based reactive moiety, on which CO2 reacts in an irreversible manner,
• R1 denotes from 1 to 4 groups independently selected from, H, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkenyl, C1-C6 alkynyl, or denotes 2 groups forming a fused saturated, non-saturated or aromatic C4-C8 ring with the spacer L to which they are linked, wherein from 1 to 3 carbon atom, where applicable, are independently from each other optionally substituted by a group selected from —COO—, —CO—, NH—, —O—, —S— or substituted with a group selected from —OH, SH, NH2, NO2, halogens, or denotes a macromolecule such as a DNA, RNA, peptide, protein, enzyme,
• L denotes an internal spacer selected from a linear or branched carbon chain comprising from 1 to 10 carbon atoms being either saturated or mono- di- or tri-unsaturated, or a cyclic chain comprising from 4 to 7 being either saturated or mono- or di-unsaturated, or an aromatic group such as a phenyl, or a heteroaromatic group such as pyridine, (benzo)furan, (benzo)thiophene, or pyrrole, wherein, where applicable, in the flexible linear or branched carbon chain and in the non-aromatic cyclic chain, from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, can independently from each other optionally be replaced by a heteroatom selected from —O—, —S—, —NH—, —CO—, —NHCO— or —COO— or substituted by a group —OH, —NH2, halogen, NO2, or alkyl comprising from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and
• n denotes an integer selected from 0, 1, 2 or 3.