Claims
- 1. A luminophore comprising a donor portion (D) in close association with an acceptor portion (A) sufficient for resonant energy transfer from D to A, wherein upon excitation by external electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than λ1, said luminophore emits luminophore radiation of a wavelength longer than λ1, which is in the range of about 400 to about 1200 nm with an emission lifetime τ1 and a quantum yield Q1,
wherein when D is not in said close association with A, it absorbs radiation of a wavelength λ2 shorter than λ1 and thereafter emits radiation with a quantum yield Q2 less than about 0.2, wherein when said donor portion D is in said close association with A and is excited by electromagnetic radiation of wavelength shorter than λ1, it resonantly transfers energy to said acceptor portion A which then resonantly emits said luminophore radiation, and wherein said quantum yield Q1 is substantially greater than Q2.
- 2. A luminophore of claim 1, which is a chemical compound wherein D is covalently linked to A.
- 3. A luminophore of claim 1, wherein each of D and A are bound to separate molecules which can interact in solution to form said close association.
- 4. A luminophore of claim 1, wherein said luminophore radiation has a wavelength of 550 to 1000 nm.
- 5. A luminophore of claim 4, wherein the emission lifetime τ1 is 25 ns to 100 μs.
- 6. A luminophore of claim 5, wherein said luminophore emission has a quantum yield Q1 of about 1.
- 7. A luminophore of claim 6, wherein at least one of D and A comprises a functional group by which it can be covalently bonded to another compound.
- 8. A compound of the formula
- 9. A compound of claim 2, further comprising a functional group by which it can be covalently bonded to another compound.
- 10. In a chemical compound marked with a covalently bonded detectable label, the improvement wherein the label is a compound of claim 9.
- 11. A method of labeling a chemical compound comprising covalently bonding thereto a compound of claim 9.
- 12. In a method of identifying a chemical species in a mixture of compounds comprising detecting radiation emitted by said chemical species, the improvement wherein said chemical species is a compound of claim 10.
- 13. A method of providing a probe which emits luminophore radiation of a wavelength λ1 in the range of about 400 nm to about 1200 nm with a high quantum yield Q1 and a half-life greater than about 25 ns, comprising placing a donor molecule D, which per se emits radiation of a wavelength less than λ1 with a quantum yield substantially lower than Q1, in close association with an acceptor molecule A sufficient for resonant energy transfer from D to A, as a result of which D resonantly transfers energy to A and A emits said luminophore radiation.
- 14. A compound of claim 8, wherein D is a transition metal ligand complex.
- 15. A compound of claim 14, wherein said transition metal is Re, Ru, Os or Ir.
- 16. A luminophore of claim 1, wherein D is a transition metal ligand complex.
- 17. A luninophore of claim 1, wherein said quantum yield Q2 is about 0.1.
Government Interests
[0001] This work was supported by NIH grant NCRR-08119 and GM 35154; the government may have rights in this invention.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US01/23034 |
7/23/2001 |
WO |
|