Polymeric Dye Synthesis for Metal-Free Solvent-Soluble Inks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printing dyes contain hazardous heavy metals, posing health and environmental risks, particularly in sensitive markets like food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, and there is a need for organic solvent-soluble polymeric dyes that do not include these metals.
Innovation Solution
A method for synthesizing organic solvent-soluble polymeric dyes by reacting a dye with a polymerizable monomer, copolymerizing the resulting monomer in specific solvents, and recovering the polymeric dye through a purification process using selected solvents to enhance solubility and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If heavy metal-containing dyes are used in inkjet printing, then coloring performance is achieved, but toxicity and environmental hazard increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful heavy metal components from the dye structure while retaining the essential coloring function through organic polymer-based dye molecules that achieve comparable or superior coloring performance without toxic metals
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the dye from heavy metal-containing inorganic/organometallic compounds to heavy metal-free organic polymer compounds, fundamentally altering the material's toxicity profile while maintaining coloring functionality
2Ease of manufacture
If small molecule dyes are used, then coloring efficiency is high, but migration through packaging substrates occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple monomer units into a single polymeric dye molecule, merging the coloring function with the polymer backbone structure to create a unified molecule that exhibits both high coloring efficiency and migration resistance due to its large molecular size
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite-like polymeric dye structures where diverse monomer units are polymerized together to form a complex macromolecule that integrates coloring capability with enhanced stability and migration resistance properties
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water-soluble polymeric dyes are used, then safety for sensitive markets is improved, but solubility in organic solvents is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality modification by incorporating specific hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments within the polymeric dye structure, allowing the molecule to exhibit enhanced solubility in organic solvents while maintaining the safety characteristics of polymeric dyes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the solubility parameters of the polymeric dye by adjusting the chemical composition and structure of the monomer units, transforming the dye from water-soluble to organic solvent-soluble while preserving the safety benefits of polymeric structures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces polymeric dyes that are non-toxic, stable, and suitable for various printing processes, offering excellent solubility, fastness, and adhesion to substrates, making them safe for sensitive markets.
Implementation Method 1
copolymerizing at least one polymerizable monomer dye with polymerizable monomers
Implementation Method 2
recovering the resulting polymeric dye, wherein said copolymerizing step (2) is conducted in a solvent chosen from...
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for synthetizing a polymeric dye by polymerization of polymerizable monomers bearing a polymerizable function, such as as an alkenyl, alkynyl, acrylate, methacrylate, maleate, fumarate or acrylamide or a derivative thereof, and a chromophore function, wherein the polymerization is conducted in a solvent chosen from wherein the polymerization is conducted in a solvent chosen from dichloromethane (DCM), toluene, xylene (ortho-, meta-, para-, and mixture thereof), acetone, acetonitrile, dimethyl formamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), sulpholane, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate , tetrahydrofuran, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene), Propylene carbonate, anisole, 1,3-dioxolane or 1,4-dioxane and mixture thereof.