Patent ID: 7078406

Claim:
A method of using a compound of Formula I to monitor an environment, wherein said environment is a cell, said method comprising: (a) placing said compound in or near said environment; (b) exposing said compound to a light source, wherein said light source produces light with wavelengths between 200 and 700 nm; and (c) detecting a fluorescent energy, wherein said fluorescent energy is emitted by said compound; wherein the compound of Formula I is: wherein A is a single bond, alkylene, alkenylene, or alkynylene, wherein any of alkylene, alkenylene, and alkynylene is optionally substituted; R 1 is cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, piperazine, pyrrolidine, imidazole, aryl, —OR 3 , —SR 3 , —S(O)R 3 , —S(O) 2 R 3 , —C(O)H, —C(O)OR 3 , —OC(O)R 3 , —C(O)NR 3 R 4 , —NR 3 C(O)R 4 , —OC(O)OR 3 , —OC(O)NR 3 R 4 , NR 3 C(O)OR 4 , —OS(O) 2 OR 3 , —S(O) 2 OR 3 , —S(O)OR 3 , —OP(O)(OR 3 )OR 4 , —P(O)(OR 3 )OR 4 , —P(O)HOR 3 , amidino, guanidino, biguanidino, oxyguanidino, alkyliminoamino, formyliminoamino, or EDTA; and R 2 is H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or cycloalkyl, wherein any of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkyl, and cycloalkyl is optionally substituted; and R 3 and R 4 are independently H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or arylalkyl, wherein any of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and arylalkyl, is optionally substituted; or wherein A is a single bond; and R 1 , R 2 , and A, together with N to which R 1 , R 2 , and A are attached, form a piperazine or thiazolidine, either of which is optionally substituted; and salts thereof; with the provisos that, when A is C 1-8 unsubstituted alkyl and R 2 is H or methyl, then R 1 is not —NH 2 , —NHCH 3 , —N(CH 3 ) 2 , or —NHC(O)CH 2 Br; when A is C 1-3 unsubstituted alkyl and R 2 is H, then R 1 is not —C(O)OH, —C(O)OCH 3 , or —C(O)OCH 2 CH 3 ; when A is C 1-3 unsubstituted alkyl and R 2 is H, then R 1 is not —NHC(O)C 6 F 5 ; when A is a single bond and R 2 is H or CH 3 , then R 1 is not phenyl substituted with —B(OH) 2 ; and when A is a single bond, R 1 , R 2 , and A, together with N to which R 1 , R 2 , and A are attached, do not form unsubstituted morpholinyl.