Benzopyrylium compounds

1. A compound according to any general formula Ia

wherein

each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 11 , and R 12 is the same or different and is independently selected from H, SO 3 , Z, L-Z, a PEG group P-L-Z where P is an ethylene glycol group, a diethylene glycol group, or a polyethylene glycol group, where the polyethylene glycol group is (CH 2 CH 2 O) s , where s is an integer from 3-6 inclusive, a sulfonamide group -L-SO 2 NH-P-L-Z, a caboxamide group -L-CONH-P-L-Z, hydrogen, alkyl-, tert-alkyl, aryl-, carboxyaryl-, dicarboxyaryl, heteroaryl-, cycloalkyl-, heterocycloalkyl-, alkyloxy-, alkylmercapto- with alkyl and cycloalkyl including olefin linkage residues, aryloxy-, arylmercapto-, heteroaryloxy-, heteroarylmercapto-, hydroxy-, nitro-, a carboxylic acid, an amino group, or cyano residues; where L is a divalent linear (—(CH 2 ) t —, t=0 to 15), branched, or cyclic alkane group that can be substituted by at least one atom of oxygen, nitrogen, substituted nitrogen, and/or sulfur; where Z is H, CH 3 , alkyl group, sulfoalkyl, heteroalkyl group, NH 2 , —COO − , —COOH, —COSH, CO—NH—NH 2 , —COF, —COCl, —COBr, —COI, —COO-Su (succinimidyl/sulfosuccinimidyl), —COO-STP (4-sulfo-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl), —COO-TFP (2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl), —COO-benzotriazole, —CO-benzotriazole, —CONR′—CO—CH 2 —I, —CONR′R″, —CONR′-biomolecule, —CONR′-L-COO − , —CONR′-L-COOH, —CONR′-L-COO-Su, —CONR′-L-COO-STP, —CONR′-L-COO-TFP, —CONR′-L-CONR″ 2 , —CONR′-L-CO-biomolecule, —CONR′-L-CO—NH—NH 2 , —CONR′-L-OH, —CONR′-L-O-phosphoramidite, —CONR′-L-CHO, —CONR′-L-maleimide, or —CONR′-L-NH—CO—CH 2 —I; each of R′ and R″ is selected from H, aliphatic group, or heteroaliphatic group, and the biomolecule is a protein, peptide, antibody, nucleotide, oligonucleotide, biotin, or hapten;

X is selected from —OH, —SH, —NH 2 , —NH—NH 2 , —F, —Cl, —Br, I, —NHS (hydroxysuccinimidyl/sulfosuccinimidyl), —O-TFP (2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenoxy), —O-STP (4-sulfo-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenoxy), —O-benzotriazole, -benzotriazole, —NR-L-OH, —NR-L-O-phosphoramidite, —NR-L-SH, —NR-L-NH 2 , —NR-L-NH—NH 2 , —NR-L-CO 2 H, —NR-L-CO—NHS, —NR-L-CO-STP, —NR-L-CO-TFP, —NR-L-CO-benzotriazole, —NR-L-CHO, —NR-L-maleimide, or —NR-L-NH—CO—CH2-I, where R is —H or an aliphatic or heteroaliphatic group;

each of R 10 , R 13 , and R 14 is the same or different and is independently selected from aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, sulfoalkyl group, carboxyalkyl group, heteroaliphatic with terminal SO 3 , Z, L-Z, PEG group P-L-Z where P is an ethylene glycol group, a diethylene glycol group, or a polyethylene glycol group where the polyethylene glycol group is (CH 2 CH 2 O) s , where s is an integer from 3-6 inclusive, a sulfonamide group -L-SO 2 NH-P-L-Z, or a caboxamide group -L-CONH-P-L-Z;

each of R 7 and R 9 is the same or different and is independently hydrogen, aliphatic group, heteroaliphatic group, or PEG group P-L-Z where P is selected from an ethylene glycol group, a diethylene glycol group, or a polyethylene glycol group where the polyethylene glycol group is (CH 2 CH 2 O) s , where s is an integer from 3-6 inclusive; or R7 and R9 together form a cyclic structure where R3 and R4 are joined using a divalent structural element selected from —(CH 2 ) q —, —(CH 2 ) q O(CH 2 ) q′ —, —(CH 2 ) q S(CH 2 ) q′ —, —(CH 2 ) q CH═CH—, —OCH═CH— where each of q and q′ is the same or different and is a integer from 1 to 6 inclusive; and

R 8 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, sulfoalkyl, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and PEG group P-L-Z where P is selected from an ethylene glycol group, a diethylene glycol group, or a polyethylene glycol group, where the polyethylene glycol group is (CH 2 CH 2 O) s , where s is an integer from 3-6 inclusive;

each of R 1 and R 2 , R 2 and R 3 , R 3 and R 4 , R 5 and R 6 , R 5 and R 8 , R 9 and R 10 , R 11 and R 12 , or R 12 and R 13 may form one or more aliphatic, heteroaliphatic or aromatic rings, and where the resultant ring(s) is optionally substituted by at least one alkyl-, sulfoalkyl, tert-alkyl, aryl-, carboxyaryl-, dicarboxyaryl, heteroaryl-, cycloalkyl-, heterocycloalkyl-, alkyloxy-, alkylmercapto- with alkyl and cycloalkyl including olefin linkage residues, aryloxy-, arylmercapto-, heteroaryloxy-, heteroarylmercapto-, hydroxy-, nitro-, sulfonic acid, a carboxylic acid, an amino group, or cyano residues;

at least one of R 1 -R 14 contains at least one PEG and optionally an additional solubilizing, ionizing, or ionized substituent selected from SO 3 − , PO 3 2− , CO 2 H, OH, NR 3 + , cyclodextrins or sugars providing hydrophilic characteristics; the substituents optionally linked to chromophore by an aliphatic or heteroaliphatic or cyclical spacer;

Kat is a number of Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , ammonia, or other cation(s) needed to compensate the negative charge(s); n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; o is an integer from 0 to 12 inclusive; and p is an integer from 1 to 6 inclusive.

2. The compound of claim 1 wherein

when the compound is according to general formula Ia or IIa each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; each of R13 and R14 is independently selected from alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H;

when the compound is according to general formula Ib or IIb each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; each of R13 and R14 is independently selected from alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H;

when the compound is according to general formula Ic or IIc each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; each of R13 and R14 is independently selected from alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H; and

when the compound is according to general formula Id or IId each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; each of R13 and R14 is independently selected from alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H.

3. The compound of claim 2 wherein at least one of R2 or R3 is sulfopropyl, R5 is methyl, and at least one of R13 or R14 is sulfopropyl.

4. The compound of claim 1 wherein

when the compound is according to general formula Ie or IIe each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; R10 is alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; R14 is alkyl; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H;

when the compound is according to general formula If or IIf each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; R10 is alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; R14 is alkyl; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H;

when the compound is according to general formula Ig or IIg each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; R10 is alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; R14 is alkyl; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H; and

when the compound is according to general formula Ih or IIh each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; R11 is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group; R10 is alkyl, sulfoalkyl, or a PEG group P-L-Z; R14 is alkyl; and each of R1, R4, R7, R8, R9, and R12 is H.

5. The compound of claim 4 wherein at least one of R2 or R3 is sulfopropyl, R5 is methyl, R10 is sulfopropyl, and R14 is methyl.

6. The compound of claim 1 selected from the group consisting of

7. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 and R2 form a 6-membered ring, and R3 and R4 form a 6-membered ring, resulting in the benzopyrylium portion of the compound shown below

8. The compound of claim 7 wherein R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; and each of R7, and R9 is H.

9. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 and R2 form a 6-membered ring, resulting in the benzopyrylium portion of the compound shown below

wherein R3′ is sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, or an amino group.

10. The compound of claim 9 wherein R3 is sulfoalkyl or a PEG group P-L-Z; R5 is alkyl; R6 is t-butyl or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; and each of R7, R8, and R9 is H.

11. The compound of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a dihydro derivative, an azo bond, or a phenyl group disrupting the aromatic system and resulting in a quencher.

12. The compound of claim 11 selected from the group consisting of

where R1 is methoxy or a PEG group, R2 is sulfoalkyl or a PEG group, and R3 is —OH or —NH—R where R is a PEG group;

where each of R1 and R2 is independently alkyl or a PEG group, R3 is sulfoalkyl or a PEG group, and R4 is —OH or —NH—R where R is a PEG group; and

where each of R1 and R2 is independently alkyl or a PEG group, R3 is sulfoalkyl or a PEG group, and R4 is —OH or —NH—R where R is a PEG group.

13. A method for in vivo imaging, the method comprising

intravenously injecting a compound of claim 1 into a living animal, and

obtaining at least one image of at least a portion of the animal using the compound.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising obtaining the image during injection, after injection, or both during and after injection of the compound.

15. The method of claim 13 where the compound is injected into a circulatory system.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising obtaining ex vivo images of at least a portion of the animal.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the compound is conjugated to a targeting molecule selected from the group consisting of a peptide, a protein, a nucleotide, an oligonucleotide, a nucleic acid, a sugar, an enzyme substrate, an enzyme antagonist, an enzyme inhibitor, and a receptor-binding compound.

18. A method of labeling at least one biomolecule, the method comprising combining a composition comprising at least one excipient and the compound of claim 1 in an effective concentration to the at least one biomolecule under conditions sufficient for labeling the biomolecule with the compound.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising detecting the labeled biomolecule by at least one of fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, in vivo imaging, immunoassay, hybridization, chromatographic assay, electrophoretic assay, microwell plate based assay, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system, high throughput screening, or microarray.

20. The method of claim 18 where the biomolecule is selected from a protein, antibody, enzyme, nucleoside triphosphate, oligonucleotide, biotin, hapten, cofactor, lectin, antibody binding protein, carotenoid, carbohydrate, hormone, neurotransmitter, growth factors, toxin, biological cell, lipid, receptor binding drug, fluorescent proteins, organic polymer carrier material, inorganic polymeric carrier material, and combinations thereof.

21. A kit for labeling at least one biomolecule in a sample, the kit comprising the compound of claim 1 , at least one excipient, and instructions for using the compound to label the biomolecule in a sample.

22. A compound of formula Compound IIc-PEG4-635