Patent ID: 8440840

Claim:
A dye comprising an anchoring group in its molecular structure, wherein the anchoring group allows a covalent coupling of the dye to a surface, and wherein the anchoring group is represented by formula 1 wherein attachment of the anchoring group within the molecular structure of the dye is at the terminal carbon marked with an asterisk in formula 1; G is selected from the group consisting of —COOH, —SO 3 H, —PO 3 H 2 , —BO 2 H 2 , —SH, —OH, and —NH 2 ; A is selected from the group consisting of H, —CN, —NO 2 , —COOR, —COSR, —COR, —CSR, —NCS, —CF 3 , —CONR 2 , —OCF 3 , and C 6 H 5-m F m , wherein m is 1 to 5, R being H or any straight or branched alkyl chain of formula —C n H 2n+1 , wherein n is 0 to 12, or any substituted or non-substituted phenyl or biphenyl; and wherein the dye is represented by formula 2 or formula 4 wherein the chromophore is a squarylium dye derivative or a croconium dye derivative that absorbs visible light, IR light, or both visible and IR light, and the squarylium dye derivative or the croconium dye derivative has aromatic ring systems Ar 1 and Ar 2 attached to a squaric acid derivative or to a croconic acid derivative.