Heavy metal binding compounds and their method of use

1. A compound having the formula:

wherein R X is —CH 2 COOR;

R Y is —CH 2 COOR;

R X ′ is —CH 2 COOR;

wherein R is H, a salt ion or —CH 2 OC(O)(CH 2 ) n CH 3 and n is 0 to 6;

R 1 is hydrogen;

R 2 is hydrogen;

R 3 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, amino, substituted amino, alkylamino, substituted alkylamino, aldehyde, carboxyl, azido, nitro, nitroso, cyano, thioether, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, reporter molecule, reactive group, carrier molecule or solid support;

R 4 is hydrogen;

R 5 is hydrogen;

R 6 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, amino, substituted amino, alkylamino, substituted alkylamino, aldehyde, carboxyl, azido, nitro, nitroso, cyano, thioether, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, reporter molecule, reactive group, carrier molecule or solid support;

R 7 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, hydroxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, amino, substituted amino, alkylamino, substituted alkylamino, aldehyde, carboxyl, azido, nitro, nitroso, cyano, thioether, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, reporter molecule, reactive group, carrier molecule or solid support;

R 8 is hydrogen; and,

wherein R 9 is hydrogen;

R 10 is hydrogen;

R 11 is hydrogen; and

R 12 is hydrogen.

2. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R is H, a salt ion or CH 2 OC(O)CH 3 .

3. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein said R is hydrogen or a salt ion.

4. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein said R is CH 2 OC(O)CH 3 .

5. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 3 , R 6 or R 7 is a reporter molecule.

6. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 or R 6 is a reporter molecule.

7. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the reporter molecule is a chromophore, fluorophore, fluorescent protein, phosphorescent dye or a tandem dye.

8. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the reporter molecule is a xanthene, indole, cyanine, oxazole, dansyl, borapolyazaindacene, benzofuran, quinazolinone, benzazole, oxazine, pyrene, naphthalene, coumarin, biotin, enzyme substrate or fluorescent protein.

9. The compound according to claim 8 , wherein the xanthene is a fluorescein or derivative thereof, rhodamine or derivative thereof, rhodol or derivative thereof or rosamine or a derivative thereof.

10. The compound according to claim 8 , wherein the reporter molecule is independently substituted by hydrogen, halogen, amino, substituted amino, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, sulfo, solid support, reactive group or carrier molecule.

11. The compound according to claim 8 , wherein the reporter molecule is independently substituted by a lipophilic group.

12. The compound according to claim 11 , wherein the lipophilic group is an AM or acetate ester.

13. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the reporter group, reactive group, solid support and carrier molecule comprise a linker that is a single covalent bond, or a covalent linkage that is linear or branched, cyclic or heterocyclic, saturated or unsaturated, having 1-20 nonhydrogen atoms selected from the group consisting of C, N, P, O and S; and are composed of any combination of ether, thioether, amine, ester, carboxamide, sulfonamide, hydrazide bonds and aromatic or heteroaromatic bonds.

14. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the reactive group is an acrylamide, an activated ester of a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic ester, an acyl azide, an acyl nitrile, an aldehyde, an alkyl halide, an anhydride, an aniline, an amine, an aryl halide, an azide, an aziridine, a boronate, a diazoalkane, a haloacetamide, a haloalkyl, a halotriazine, a hydrazine, an imido ester, an isocyanate, an isothiocyanate, a maleimide, a phosphoramidite, a reactive platinum complex, a silyl halide, a sulfonyl halide, a thiol or a photoactivatable group.

15. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the reactive group is carboxylic acid, succinimidyl ester of a carboxylic acid, hydrazide, amine or a maleimide.

16. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier molecule is an amino acid, a peptide, a protein, a polysaccharide, a nucleoside, a nucleotide, an oligonucleotide, a nucleic acid polymer, a hapten, a psoralen, a drug, a hormone, a lipid, a lipid assembly, a synthetic polymer, a polymeric microparticle, a biological cell or a virus.

17. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier molecule is an antibody or fragment thereof, an avidin or streptavidin, a biotin, a blood component protein, a dextran, an enzyme, an enzyme inhibitor, a hormone, an IgG binding protein, a fluorescent protein, a growth factor, a lectin, a lipopolysaccharide, a microorganism, a metal binding protein, a metal chelating moiety, a non-biological microparticle, a peptide toxin, a phosphotidylserine-binding protein, a structural protein, a small-molecule drug, or a tyramide.

18. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the solid support is a microfluidic chip, a silicon chip, a microscope slide, a microplate well, silica gels, polymeric membranes, particles, derivatized plastic films, glass beads, cotton, plastic beads, alumina gels, polysaccharides, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, latex bead, magnetic bead, paramagnetic bead, or superparamagnetic bead.

19. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the solid support is sepharose, poly(acrylate), polystyrene, poly(acrylamide), polyol, agarose, agar, cellulose, dextran, starch, FICOLL, heparin, glycogen, amylopectin, mannan, inulin, nitrocellulose, diazocellulose or starch.

20. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein said compound is

and a biologically compatible anion.