Abstract: A class of aromatic-substituted xanthene compounds useful as fluorescent dyes is disclosed, the compounds having the general structure where Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2 taken separately are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, oxygen, imminium, linking group and amine, or Y.sub.1 taken together with R.sub.2 is cyclic imine, or Y.sub.2 taken together with R.sub.3 is cyclic amine; R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.5, and R.sub.7 taken separately are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, lower alkyl, lower alkene, lower alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, imminium, amido, nitrile, lower alkoxy, phenyl, and linking group; R.sub.1 taken separately is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, substituted phenyl, polycyclic aromatic, substituted polycyclic aromatic, linking group and electron-rich heterocycle, or when taken together with R.sub.7 is selected from the group consisting of electron-rich heterocycle and indene; R.sub.