LUMINESCENT MACROCYCLIC LANTHANIDE COMPLEXES BEARING N-OXIDES - POTENTIAL FLUORESCENT LABELS FOR MODERN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS

Macrocyclic and macropolycyclic ligands incorporating heteroaromatic N -oxides (3,3'-biisoquinoline-2,2'-dioxide) form strongly luminescent c omplexes with lanthanide ions: Eu(III) and Tb(III). Most of these comp lexes are stable water solutions, with excellent luminescent propertie s, regarding luminescence lifetimes in tile range of 0.2-0.7 ms, and t ile quantum yields for emission up to 0.25. Several complexes are stab le also in the presence of affecting ions, such as Ca(II), or phosphat es. These features make them attractive as potential fluorescent label s for time-resolved fluoroimmunoassays.