Patent ID: 7744658

Claim:
A fluorescent dye of formula (I): the organic or mineral acid salts thereof, optical isomers and geometric isomers thereof, or the solvates thereof: wherein: n is an integer ranging from 1 to 2; m is an integer ranging from 0 to 1; p is an integer ranging from 0 to 4; Q − is an anionic counterion; W is chosen from a (C 2 -C 3 )alkylene and a (C 2 -C 3 )alkenylene chain optionally substituted with at least one (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl or aryl group; Z 1 is chosen from a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom N + which is quaternized; Z 2 , Z 3 , and Z 4 , which may be identical or different, are chosen from a nitrogen atom, a CR 4 group, and a N + R 5 group; with the proviso that only one quaternized nitrogen atom N + or N + R 5 is present in the aromatic ring A; R 1 , R 2 , and R 4 , which may be identical or different, are chosen from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a (di)(C 1 -C 6 )(alkyl)amino, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a (poly)halo(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, an acyl(C 1 -C 4 )(alkyl)amino, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, a (poly)hydroxy(C 2 -C 6 )alkoxy, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkylcarbonyloxy, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxycarbonyl, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkylcarbonylamino, a (di)(C 1 -C 4 )(alkyl)aminocarbonyl, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl(C 1 -C 4 )(alkyl)amino, a (di)(C 1 -C 4 )(alkyl)aminosulfonyl group, and a (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl group optionally substituted with a group chosen from (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, hydroxyl, and (di)(C 1 -C 6 )(alkyl)amino; or, when p is an integer greater than or equal to 2, two contiguous radicals R 2 form, together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, a benzo ring; R 3 is chosen from a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl group, a (di)(C 1 -C 6 )(alkyl)amino group, an aryl group, and a heterocycloalkyl group which is optionally substituted; R 5 is chosen from an optionally substituted (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl group and an aryl(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl; L is chosen from a σ bond and an optionally substituted C 1 -C 20 divalent hydrocarbon-based chain, optionally interrupted i) with at least one divalent group or combination thereof chosen from: —N(R)—, —N + (R)(R o )—, An − , —O—, —C(O)—, and —S(O) 2 —, wherein R and R o , which may be identical or different, are chosen from a hydrogen, a (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, a hydroxy(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, and an amino(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl radical, and An − is an anionic counterion, or ii) with a cationic heterocycle or cationic heteroaryl Het + , An − , wherein An − is an anionic counterion and Het + is chosen from a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle comprising from 5 to 10 members and a heteroaryl comprising from 5 to 10 members; with the proviso that, when n is 2, then m is 0, and when n is 1, then m is 1.