Compounds useful as fluorescent or colored dyes are disclosed. The compounds have the following structure (I):

##STR00001##

or a stereoisomer, tautomer or salt thereof, wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, L.sup.3, L.sup.4, M, m and n are as defined herein. Methods associated with preparation and use of such compounds are also provided.

This application describes laundry care compositions that contain leuco colorants and their use in the laundering of textile articles. These types of colorants are provided in a stable, substantially colorless state and then may be transformed to an intense colored state upon exposure to certain physical or chemical changes such as, for example, exposure to oxygen, ion addition, exposure to light, and the like. The laundry care compositions containing the leuco colorants are designed to enhance the apparent or visually perceived whiteness of, or to impart a desired hue to, textile articles washed or otherwise treated with the laundry care composition.

Described herein are devices, compositions, and methods for improving color discernment.

Encrypted markers that are not readily detectable can be revealed by treatment with a specific reagent used as a developer to reveal a readily detectable physical property of the marker, such as a characteristic fluorescence emission after excitation with a particular excitation wavelength, or to reveal a visible color. The encrypted marker can be developed in situ, or a sample can be removed by brushing, scraping, swabbing or scratching the marked object or item and developing the encrypted marker or a sample thereof with the appropriate developer to reveal an overt marker or optical signal. The encrypted marker may include a DNA taggant.

Disclosed are a core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe and a synthesis method thereof, wherein the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe is a nanoparticle with a core-shell structure. Also disclosed is a method using the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe for selection of functional microorganisms having toxic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading activity, wherein the method enables efficient, intuitive and rapid specificity sorting and analyzing of individual cells with high sensitively.

This application describes laundry care compositions that contain leuco colorants and their use in the laundering of textile articles. These types of colorants are provided in a stable, substantially colorless state and then may be transformed to an intense colored state upon exposure to certain physical or chemical changes such as, for example, exposure to oxygen, ion addition, exposure to light, and the like. The laundry care compositions containing the leuco colorants are designed to enhance the apparent or visually perceived whiteness of, or to impart a desired hue to, textile articles washed or otherwise treated with the laundry care composition.

A leuco polymer includes a leuco monomer and an alkene. The leuco polymer has a molecular weight of at least 500 and is obtainable by polymerization of the leuco monomer and one or more alkene co-monomers. The leuco monomer consists of an alkene covalently bound to a leuco moiety and the leuco monomer has a molar extinction coefficient at a wavelength in the range 400 to 750 nm of less than 1000 M.sup.1cm.sup.1. The alkene monomer(s) have a molar extinction coefficient at a wavelength in the range 400 to 750 nm that is less than 100 M.sup.1cm.sup.1. Methods of making the leuco polymer, laundry care compositions comprising the leuco polymer and methods of treating textiles with such laundry care compositions.

A reverse photochromic compound of the related art has difficulty in sensing light with a wavelength of 600 nm or greater in a visible light region which has been used for medical applications. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a reverse photochromic compound and a polymer which have a high sensitivity to light having a wavelength of 600 nm or greater. The present invention relates to a compound and the like represented by the following general formula (1). ##STR00001## In the formula, R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or the like, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.5 each independently represent an alkyl group or the like, R.sub.6 represents a group having a polymerizable unsaturated group, a carboxy group, or an alkoxycarbonyl group, R.sub.31 and R.sub.32 each independently represent an alkoxy group or the like, R.sub.33 and R.sub.34 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or the like, Y.sub.1 represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, An.sup. represents an anion, n.sub.1 to n.sub.3 represent a specific integer, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, and/or R.sub.33 and R.sub.34 may form an alkylene group.

A laundry care composition including: (a) at least one laundry care ingredient and (b) a leuco composition. The laundry care composition after 30 days of storage at 25 C. provides a whiteness benefit to cotton upon washing that is greater than the initial whiteness benefit. Methods of treating textiles with such laundry care compositions.

A method of obtaining a leuco polymer, the method comprising the step of reacting a reactive leuco compound with a polymer to form the leuco polymer. The reactive leuco compound comprises at least one leuco moiety and at least one nucleophilic group. The polymer comprises at least one group capable of reacting with said nucleophilic group. The said leuco moiety has a maximum molar extinction coefficient at a wavelength in the range 400 to 750 nm of less than 1000 M.sup.1 cm.sup.1. Laundry care compositions comprising the leuco polymer and methods of treating textiles with such laundry care compositions.