| Abstract: | Compounds suitable for NMR imaging having the formula: ##STR1## wherein a is 2 or 3; b is an integer from 0 to 4; Me.sup.(a+) is Fe.sup.(2+), Fe.sup.(3+), Gd.sup.(3+), or Mn.sup.(2+) ; E.sup.(b+) is an ion of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, alkyl ammonium, alkanol ammonium, polyhydroxyalkyl ammonium, or basic protonated amino acid, said ions representing a total charge of b; m is an integer from 1 to 5; R is H, alkyl with from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, alkyl with from 1 to 8 carbon atoms wherein from 1 to 5 carbons are substituted with OH; aralkyl with 1 to 4 aliphatic carbon atoms; phenyl or phenyl substituted by halogen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, carboxamide, ester, SO.sub.3 H, sulfonamide, lower alkyl, lower hydroxy alkyl, amino, acylamino; (poly)oxa-alkyl with 1 to 50 oxygen atoms and from 3 to 150 carbon atoms, wherein 1 to 5 hydrogen atoms may be substituted by OH; R.sub.1 is the same as R.sub.2 or is --CH.sub.2 COOZ, --CH(CH.sub.3)COOZ, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --N(CH.sub.2 COOZ).sub.2, a hydroxy arylalkyl, hydroxy pyridylalkyl, hydroxy aryl(carboxy)alkyl or hydroxy pyridyl-(carboxy)alkyl radical, where the aryl or pyridyl radical may be substituted by hydroxyl, hydroxy alkyl, alkyl, halogen, carboxyl or SO.sub.3 H; R.sub.2 is --CH.sub.2 COOZ, --CH(CH.sub.3)COOZ, ##STR2## wherein R.sub.3 is --CH.sub.2 COOZ, --CH(CH.sub.3)COOZ or a monovalent radical having the structure ##STR3## X is a direct chemical bond, --O--, --S--, --NH--, ##STR4## n is the integer 2 or 3, with the proviso that when X represents a direct bond, n is 1, 2 or 3; Z is hydrogen or a unit of negative charge, and --(CH.sub.2).sub.m -- may also be --CH.sub.2 --C(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --. |
| Inventor(s): | Felder; Ernst (Riva S. Vitale, CH), Uggeri; Fulvio (Codogno, IT), Fumagalli; Luciano (Milan, IT), Vittadini; Giorgio (Milan, IT) |
