This disclosure provides cyanine dye compounds having linked hydrogen bond-forming groups that can be used for detecting nucleic acids, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, in a biological sample. We found that the simultaneous incorporation of at least two hydrogen bond-forming groups (HBGs) into such a nucleic acid stain can provide for crosslinking interactions between the stain and the target nucleic acid, and lead to a significant increase in the detection sensitivity without substantially increasing undesirable cytotoxicity or mutagenicity properties of the dye compounds. The cyanine dye compounds can have a cyanine structure that connects two particular fused heterocycle ring systems, where at least two HBGs are connected to the core structure through linkers. Also provided are nucleic acid complexes including the cyanine dye compounds, and methods of using the compounds to detect nucleic acids in a biological sample.

The present invention relates to the field of optical imaging. More particularly, it relates to compounds of the cyanine family with near-infrared emission characterized by improved physico-chemical and biological properties and to conjugates with biological ligands thereof. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds as optical diagnostic agents in imaging or therapy of solid tumors, to the methods for their preparation and to the compositions comprising them.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals.

A photosensitizer is a dye represented by the following formula (I) or its salt. In the following chemical formula, m represents an integer of 0 through 4, and n represents an integer of 0 or 1, and p represents an integer of 0 to 2. R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group or the like. R.sub.4, R.sub.4, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group and the like. X represents a carbonyl group or the like. Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.2 represent a carboxyl group or the like: ##STR00001##

An ink set contains a first ink containing a compound in which a pyrazolone ring and a thiazole ring are bonded and a second ink containing a compound in which a pyrazolone ring and a pyridinedione ring are bonded. A thermal transfer recording sheet has a first ink layer containing a compound in which a pyrazolone ring and a thiazole ring are bonded and a second ink layer containing a compound in which a pyrazolone ring and a pyridinedione ring are bonded.

The near-infrared absorption composition includes a processed coloring agent obtained by coating a near-infrared absorption coloring agent with a resin having one or more selected from a coloring agent structure, a heterocyclic structure, and an acyclic hetero atom-containing group. The near-infrared absorption coloring agent is preferably one or more selected from a phthalocyanine coloring agent, a perylene coloring agent, a pyrrolopyrrole coloring agent, a cyanine coloring agent, a dithiol metal complex coloring agent, a naphthoquinone coloring agent, a diimmonium coloring agent, an azo coloring agent, and a squarylium coloring agent and more preferably a pyrrolopyrrole coloring agent.

Provided are a composition of which dispersibility of particles including a pyrrolopyrrole coloring agent is satisfactory, a method of manufacturing a composition, a curable composition, a cured film using a curable composition, a near-infrared cut filter, a solid-state imaging device, an infrared sensor, and a camera module. The composition includes particles including a coloring agent represented by Formula (1), in which an average secondary particle diameter of the particles is 500 nm or less. R.sup.1a and R.sup.1b each independently represent an alkyl group, an aryl group, or a heteroaryl group, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be bonded to each other to form a ring, R.sup.4's each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, BR.sup.4AR.sup.4B, or a metal atom, R.sup.4's may form a covalent bond or a coordinate bond with at least one selected form R.sup.1a, R.sup.1b, or R.sup.3, and R.sup.4A and R.sup.4B each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent.

##STR00001##

Nonlinear optical chromophores having one or more diamondoid groups covalently attached to the chromophore, methods of making nonlinear optical chromophores, their use in thin films and electro-optical devices containing such nonlinear optical chromophores and thin films comprising the same.

This disclosure provides cyanine dye compounds having linked hydrogen bond-forming groups that can be used for detecting nucleic acids, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, in a biological sample. We found that the simultaneous incorporation of at least two hydrogen bond-forming groups (HBGs) into such a nucleic acid stain can provide for crosslinking interactions between the stain and the target nucleic acid, and lead to a significant increase in the detection sensitivity without substantially increasing undesirable cytotoxicity or mutagenicity properties of the dye compounds. The cyanine dye compounds can have a cyanine structure that connects two particular fused heterocycle ring systems, where at least two HBGs are connected to the core structure through linkers. Also provided are nucleic acid complexes including the cyanine dye compounds, and methods of using the compounds to detect nucleic acids in a biological sample.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals. This invention provides hydrogels that degrade to smaller, soluble components in a non-enzymatic process upon exposure to physiological conditions and to methods to prepare them. The hydrogels are prepared from crosslinking agents that undergo elimination reactions under physiological conditions, thus cleaving the crosslinking agent from the backbone of the hydrogel. The invention also relates to the crosslinking agents themselves and intermediates in forming the hydro gels of the invention. The biodegradable hydro gels prepared according to the methods of the invention may be of use in diverse fields, including biomedical engineering, absorbent materials, and as carriers for drug delivery.