Patent ID: 7390670

Claim:
A method for detecting the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide, a salt of hydrogen peroxide or a complex of hydrogen peroxide in a sample comprising: a) reacting the sample with a signalling compound selected from the group consisting of a dioxetane compound of the formula wherein A 1 -A 3 represent organic groups having from 1-20 carbon atoms and Ar is an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring group, wherein A 1 and A 2 or A 1 and A 3 or A 3 and Ar can be combined to form a ring, a compound of the formula wherein Z is selected from O, S and NR 8 , wherein R 8 is H or Si(R 9 ) 3 , R 9 is C 1 -C 6 alkyl or phenyl, and X represents one or two iodine, bromine or chlorine atoms, a compound of the formula wherein LG is a leaving group and R 10 and R 11 are hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or are combined as an alkylene ring, and a compound of the formula wherein B is a boron atom, and each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and aryl groups and can be joined together as a straight or branched alkylene chain forming a ring or as an aromatic ring; b) subjecting the reaction product of step (a) to conditions for a chemiluminescent reaction; and c) detecting chemiluminescence from the reaction of step (b), wherein the presence of chemiluminescence indicates the presence of peroxide, wherein the signalling compound itself does not undergo the chemiluminescent reaction.