Abstract
10-Methyl-acridinium-9-(N-sulphonylcarboxamide) salts are prepared via acylation of sulphonamides with acridine-9-carboxylic acid chloride and subsequent N-alkylation with methyl triflate. Substituents on the sulphonamide component were varied to show the effect of steric and electronic factors on the kinetics of light output. The lifetime of the chemiluminescence light output ranged from 1 to 50 seconds for the 15 compounds reported. The long-term stability of the new compounds was superior to the phenyl ester counterparts.