Lanthanide chelates which contain three heterocyclic rings covalently coupled to each other (either one 2,6-pyridylene and two five-membered unsaturated heterocyclic ring moieties or two 2,6-pyridylene and one five-membered unsaturated heterocyclic ring moiety) and two chelating groups so seated that they together chelate the same lanthanide ion even in aqueous solutions. These lanthanide chelates can optionally contain a reactive group for coupling to biologically active molecules. The new chelates are suitable for classical lanthanide chelate applications and are also useful as probes in time-resolved fluorescence microscopy, cytometry, multilabelling techniques and in process controls in industry.
The synthesis of novelthiazole-containingcomplexingagents and their luminescence properties with EuIII and TbIII ions are reported. One of these terpyridine analogues was also tested as an EuIII labelling reagent, and its luminescence properties as an antibody conjugate were studied.