The present disclosure provides a composition comprising brazilein which can be used as a fluorescent dye for enhanced visualization of nucleic acids such as DNA, and RNA. Also provided in the specification is a simple, time and cost effective method of extraction of brazilein from bark starting material.

A photochromic compound is provided, which may be a pyran, an oxazine, or a fulgide. The photochromic compound has at least one substituent Q attached thereto, each Q independently being N.sub.3, CN, COOR, CCR, C(R)C(R)R, OCOR, OCOOR,SR, OSO.sub.2R, and/or CON(R)R, wherein each R is hydrogen, an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group, an unsubstituted or substituted alkene or alkyne group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the substituents are halo or hydroxyl and R is CF.sub.3 or a perfluorinated alkyl group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms The number, locations and nature of the constituents Q are dependent upon the structure of the photochromic compound.

A photochromic compound is provided, which may be a pyran, an oxazine, or a fulgide. The photochromic compound has at least one substituent Q attached thereto, each Q independently being N.sub.3, CN, COOR, CCR, C(R)C(R)R, OCOR, OCOOR,SR, OSO.sub.2R, and/or CON(R)R, wherein each R is hydrogen, an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group, an unsubstituted or substituted alkene or alkyne group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the substituents are halo or hydroxyl and R is CF.sub.3 or a perfluorinated alkyl group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms The number, locations and nature of the constituents Q are dependent upon the structure of the photochromic compound.

Disclosed is a method of preparing an oxa-bicycloalkene via the reaction of a cycloalkanone and an allyl alcohol compound in the presence of an organic acid, a manganese catalyst, and oxygen at a predetermined temperature.

Disclosed is a method of preparing an oxa-bicycloalkene via the reaction of a cycloalkanone and an allyl alcohol compound in the presence of an organic acid, a manganese catalyst, and oxygen at a predetermined temperature.

A photochromic compound is provided, which may be a pyran, an oxazine, or a fulgide. The photochromic compound has at least one substituent Q attached thereto, each Q independently being N.sub.3, CN, COOR, CCR, C(R)C(R)R, OCOR, OCOOR, SR, OSO.sub.2R, and/or CON(R)R, wherein each R is hydrogen, an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group, an unsubstituted or substituted alkene or alkyne group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the substituents are halo or hydroxyl and R is CF.sub.3 or a perfluorinated alkyl group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms The number, locations and nature of the constituents Q are dependent upon the structure of the photochromic compound.

A photochromic compound is provided, which may be a pyran, an oxazine, or a fulgide. The photochromic compound has at least one substituent Q attached thereto, each Q independently being N.sub.3, CN, COOR, CCR, C(R)C(R)R, OCOR, OCOOR, SR, OSO.sub.2R, and/or CON(R)R, wherein each R is hydrogen, an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group, an unsubstituted or substituted alkene or alkyne group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the substituents are halo or hydroxyl and R is CF.sub.3 or a perfluorinated alkyl group having from 2 to 18 carbon atoms The number, locations and nature of the constituents Q are dependent upon the structure of the photochromic compound.

The present invention relates to methods of making fused ring compounds, such as indeno-fused naphthols, and fused ring indenopyran compounds, such as indeno-fused naphthopyrans, that each employ an unsaturated compound represented by the following Formula II.

##STR00001##

Referring to the unsaturated compound of Formula II: Ring-A can be selected from optionally substituted aryl (e.g., phenyl); m can be, for example, from 0 to 4; R.sup.1 for each m can be selected from optionally substituted hydrocarbyl (e.g., C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl) optionally interrupted with at least one linking group (e.g., O); and R.sup.3 and R.sup.16 can each be independently selected from, for example, hydrogen or optionally substituted hydrocarbyl, such as C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl. When Ring-A is a phenyl group, the unsaturated compound represented by Formula II can be referred to as an unsaturated indanone acid/ester compound, or an indenone acid/ester compound (depending on whether R.sup.16 is hydrogen, or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group).

The present invention relates to methods of making fused ring compounds, such as indeno-fused naphthols, and fused ring indenopyran compounds, such as indeno-fused naphthopyrans, that each employ an unsaturated compound represented by the following Formula II.

##STR00001##

Referring to the unsaturated compound of Formula II: Ring-A can be selected from optionally substituted aryl (e.g., phenyl); m can be, for example, from 0 to 4; R.sup.1 for each m can be selected from optionally substituted hydrocarbyl (e.g., C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl) optionally interrupted with at least one linking group (e.g., O); and R.sup.3 and R.sup.16 can each be independently selected from, for example, hydrogen or optionally substituted hydrocarbyl, such as C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alkyl. When Ring-A is a phenyl group, the unsaturated compound represented by Formula II can be referred to as an unsaturated indanone acid/ester compound, or an indenone acid/ester compound (depending on whether R.sup.16 is hydrogen, or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group).

The present invention relates to photochromic fluorenopyrans with defined dibenzo[b,d]pyrano fusion in accordance with general formulae (I) or (II) and to their use in plastics of all kinds, particularly for ophthalmic purposes. The photochromic compounds of the invention are distinguished by two pronounced absorption bands of the open form in the visible wavelength range, meaning that with dye molecules of this kind it is possible to replace two conventional photochromic dyes each having only one discrete absorption band. The compounds of the invention, moreover, have a very good lifetime with very high performance.