| abstract |
The present invention provides phosphates of resorufin derivatives of the general formulae: ##STR1## wherein R 2 and R 5 , which can be the same or different, are hydrogen or halogen atoms or lower alkyl radicals, R 1 , R 3 , R 4 and R 6 , which can be the same or different, are hydrogen or halogen atoms, cyano or carboxy groups or lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkoxycarbonyl, carboxy lower alkyl or lower alkoxycarbonyl lower alkyl radicals or carboxamide groups which are optionally mono- or disubstituted or radicals of the general formula --COO--(CH 2 CH 2 O) n --R 7 , R 7 being a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl radical and n being a whole number of from 1 to 4, and wherein R 6 can additionally also be a sulphonyl or nitro group, Y is a nitrogen atom or an N→O group and M and M', which can be the same or different, are hydrogen atoms or alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium ions. n The present invention also provides processes for the preparation of these compounds and diagnostic agents containing them for the detection of phosphatases. |