Method for labeling and detecting materials employing arylsulfonate cyanine dyes

Claim 1

A water soluble luminescent dye consisting of: a cyanine having the structure ##STR12## wherein: the dotted lines each represent carbon atoms necessary for the formation of one ring to three fused rings having 5 to 6 atoms in each ring and said R 3 , R 4 , R 8 and R 9 groups are attached to said rings; X and Y are each CH 3 --C--CH 3 ; m is an integer selected from the grouping consisting of 1, 2 and 3; at least one of said R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 7 groups reacts with amino, hydroxy or sulfhydryl nucleophiles and is a reactive moiety selected from the group consisting of ##STR13## wherein Q is Br or Cl, and n=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 for R 3 , R 4 and R 7 , and n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 for R 1 and R 2 ; and when any one of said R 3 , R 4 , and R 7 groups is not selected from one said reactive moiety, said remaining R 3 , R 4 , and R 7 are hydrogen or E--F, a polar group wherein E is a spacer group having the structure --(CH 2 ) n -- and n of said spacer group=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, and F is hydroxy, sulfonate, sulfate, carboxylate, or a lower alkyl substituted amino; and when any one of said R 1 and R 2 groups is not selected from one said reactive moiety, said remaining R 1 or R 2 are a lower alkyl or said E--F and n of said spacer group=1, 2, 3, or 4; at least one said R 8 and R 9 groups is selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid and a sulfonate moiety attached directly to said ring for conferring improved luminescence to said dye when in use as compared to a dye which does not have said at least one sulfonic acid or sulfonate moiety; and when one of said R 8 or R 9 group is not a sulfonic acid or a sulfonate, said remaining R 8 or R 9 group is a hydrogen.