Bis-azo colorants for use as bluing agents

Abstract

This invention relates to bis-azo colorants for use as bluing agents, laundry care compositions comprising bis-azo colorants that may serve as bluing agents, processes for making such bluing agents and laundry care compositions and methods of using the same. The bluing agents are generally comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. These bluing agents are advantageous in providing a whitening effect to fabrics, while not building up over time and causing undesirable blue discoloration to the treated fabrics.

1 . A laundry care composition comprising a laundry care ingredient and a bluing agent comprising:
 (a) at least one chromophore component that comprises a bis-azo colorant, and   (b) at least one polymeric component or substituted sulfonamide component;   wherein the bluing agent has the following structure:   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein: 
         R 1  and R 2  are independently H, alkyl, alkoxy, alkyleneoxy, alkyl capped alkyleneoxy, polyalkyleneoxy, alkyl capped polyalkyleneoxy, urea, or amido; 
         R 3  is an aryl group substituent that may be a substituted phenyl or napthyl moiety; 
         X is a substituted oxygen, a substituted or unsubstituted amino, or a substituted or unsubstituted sulfonamide group wherein the substituents are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkyleneoxy, polyalkyleneoxy, or phenyl moieties wherein the phenyl group may be further substituted with alkyl, alkyleneoxy or polyalkyleneoxy moieties. 
       
     
     
         2 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent comprises a polyoxyalkylene chain having from 2 to about 30 repeating units. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry care composition of  claim 2 , wherein the bluing agent comprises a polyoxyalkylene chain having from 2 to about 20 repeating units. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry care composition of  claim 3 , wherein the bluing agent comprises a polyoxyalkylene chain having from 2 to about 10 repeating units. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry care composition of  claim 4 , wherein the bluing agent comprises a polyoxyalkylene chain having from about 4 to about 6 repeating units. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent comprises an alkoxylated bis-azo polymeric colorant. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent's chromophore exhibits an absorbance spectrum maximum in water of from about 520 nanometers to about 640 nanometers. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent's chromophore exhibits an absorbance spectrum maximum in water of from about 560 nanometers to about 610 nanometers. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent exhibits an absolute hue angle in the range of 265° to 310°. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry care composition of  claim 9 , wherein the bluing agent exhibits an absolute hue angle in the range of 273° to 287°. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bluing agent has the following structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein: 
         R 1  and R 2  are independently H, alkyl, alkoxy, alkyleneoxy, alkyl capped alkyleneoxy, polyalkyleneoxy, alkyl capped polyalkyleneoxy, or amido; 
         W is a substituted amino moiety; 
         U is a hydrogen, an amino group or an amino group substituted with an acyl group; 
         Y is a hydrogen or a sulfonic acid moiety; and 
         Z is a sulfonic acid moiety or an amino group substituted with a phenyl group. 
       
     
     
         12 . The laundry care composition of  claim 11 , wherein R 1  is alkoxy and R 2  is alkyl.