Patent ID: 7091051

Claim:
A chemiluminescence method comprising activating a 1,2-dioxetane derivative of the formula 1 by contacting said 1,2-dioxetane derivative with an activator, wherein said 1,2-dioxetane derivative has a structure of: wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which are independent of one another, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an aryl group, or each pair of R 2 and R 3 , and R 4 and R 5 , which are independent of each other, may form together a cyclic alkyl group, R 6 is a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, an aralkyloxy group, a group represented by —OSi(R 8 R 9 R 10 ) (provided that each of R 8 , R 9 and R 10 which are independent of one another, is an alkyl group or an aryl group), a phosphate group or a group represented by S(C═O)R 11 (provided that R 11 is an alkyl group or an aryl group), and R 7 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkoxyl group, is wherein said activator converts the R6 group on said 1,2-dioxetane derivative into a carbonyl compound via an unstable oxide intermediate, said activator being selected from the group consisting of a base, an acid, a salt, a fluorine compound, an enzyme and a catalyst, and wherein said 1,2-dioxetane derivative is in a composition comprising, in addition to said 1,2-dioxetane derivative, a cationic surfactant and a fluorescent material.