Laundry care compositions and methods for determining their age

Abstract

A laundry care composition including (a) at least one laundry care ingredient and (b) a leuco composition. The leuco composition has a first color state and a second color state and the mole ratio of second color state to first color state is from 2:98 to 5:95. Also disclosed are methods of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition comprising the steps of (a) providing a laundry care composition that includes at least one laundry care ingredient and a leuco composition, (b) providing a functional age scale that includes a plurality of distinct colors that correspond to a unique functional age and (c) comparing the color of the laundry care composition with the functional age scale.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A laundry care composition comprising: (a) at least one laundry care ingredient and (b) a leuco composition, wherein the leuco composition has a first color state and a second color state and the mole ratio of second color state to first color state is from 2:98 to 5:95. 
     
     
         2 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry care composition further comprises an antioxidant. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry care composition of  claim 2 , wherein the antioxidant is a hindered phenol. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the leuco composition is selected from the group consisting of a diarylmethane leuco, a triarylmethane leuco, an oxazine leuco, a thiazine leuco, a hydroquinone leuco, an arylaminophenol leuco and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the leuco composition is selected from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         (f) mixtures thereof; 
       
       wherein each individual R o , R m  and R p  group on each of rings A, B and C is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium and R 5 ; wherein each R 5  is independently selected from the group consisting of halogens, nitro, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkaryl, substituted alkaryl, —(CH 2 ) n —O—R 1 , —(CH 2 ) n —NR 1 R 2 , —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)O − , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , —OC(O)R 1 , —OC(O)OR 1 , —OC(O)NR 1 R 2 , —S(O) 2 R 1 , —S(O) 2 OR 1 , —S(O) 2 O − , —S(O) 2 NR 1 R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)OR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)SR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)NR 2 R 3 , —P(O) 2 R 1 , —P(O)(OR 1 ) 2 , —P(O)(OR 1 )O − , and —P(O)(O − ) 2 , wherein the index n is an integer from 0 to 4, preferably from 0 to 1, most preferably 0; wherein at least one of the R o  and R m  groups on at least one of the three rings A, B or C is hydrogen; each R p  is independently selected from hydrogen, —OR 1  and —NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein G is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, C 1 -C 16  alkoxide, phenoxide, bisphenoxide, nitrite, nitrile, alkyl amine, imidazole, arylamine, polyalkylene oxide, halides, alkylsulfide, aryl sulfide, and phosphine oxide; 
       wherein any two of R 1 , R 2  and R 3  attached to the same heteroatom can combine to form a ring of five or more members optionally comprising one or more additional heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NR 15 —, and —S—. R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 15  independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkaryl, substituted alkaryl, and R 4 ; R 4  is a organic group composed of one or more organic monomers with said monomer molecular weights ranging from 28 to 500; 
       wherein e and f are independently integers from 0 to 4; 
       wherein each R 20  and R 21  is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen, a nitro group, alkyl groups, substituted alkyl groups, —NC(O)OR 1 , —NC(O)SR 1 , —OR 1 , and —NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein each R 25  is independently selected from the group consisting of a monosaccharide moiety, a disaccharide moiety, an oligosaccharide moiety, a polysaccharide moiety, —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein each R 22  and R 23  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, and substituted alkyl groups; 
       wherein R 30  is positioned ortho or para to the bridging amine moiety and is selected from the group consisting of —OR 38  and —NR 36 R 37 , wherein each R 36  and R 37  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an acyl group, R 4 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein R 38  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an acyl group, —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein g and h are independently integers from 0 to 4; 
       wherein each R 31  and R 32  is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an alkaryl, substituted alkaryl, —(CH 2 ) n —O—R 1 , —(CH 2 ) n —NR 1 R 2 , —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)O − , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , —OC(O)R 1 , —OC(O)OR 1 , —OC(O)NR 1 R 2 , —S(O) 2 R 1 , —S(O) 2 OR 1 , —S(O) 2 O − , —S(O) 2 NR 1 R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)OR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)SR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)NR 2 R 3 , —P(O) 2 R 1 , —P(O)(OR 1 ) 2 , —P(O)(OR 1 )O − , and —P(O)(O − ) 2 , wherein the index n is an integer from 0 to 4, preferably from 0 to 1, most preferably 0; 
       wherein —NR 34 R 35  is positioned ortho or para to the bridging amine moiety and R 34  and R 35  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, and R 4 ; 
       wherein R 33  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —S(O) 2 R 1 , —C(O)N(H)R 1 ; —C(O)OR 1 ; and —C(O)R 1 ; wherein when g is 2 to 4, any two adjacent R 31  groups may combine to form a fused ring of five or more members wherein no more than two of the atoms in the fused ring may be nitrogen atoms; 
       wherein X 40  is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, and NR 45 ; 
       wherein R 45  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, —S(O) 2 OH, —S(O) 2 O − , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein R 40  and R 41  are independently selected from the group consisting of —OR 1  and —NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein j and k are independently integers from 0 to 3; 
       wherein R 42  and R 43  are independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, —S(O) 2 R 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , —NC(O)OR 1 , —NC(O)SR 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , —OR 1 , —NR 1 R 2 ; 
       wherein R 44  is —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , and —C(O)OR 1 ; 
       wherein any charge present in any of the compounds is balanced with a suitable independently selected internal or external counterion. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein two R o  groups on different A, B and C rings combine to form a fused ring of five or more members. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry care composition of  claim 6 , wherein the fused ring is six or more members and two R o  groups on different A, B and C rings combine to form an organic linker containing one or more heteroatoms. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry care composition of  claim 7 , wherein two R o  on different A, B and C rings combine to form a heteroatom bridge selected from —O— and —S— to create a six member fused ring. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein either an R o  and R m  on the same ring or an R m  and R p  on the same ring combine to form a fused aliphatic ring or fused aromatic ring. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein all four of the R o  and R m  groups on at least one of the three rings A, B or C are hydrogen. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry care composition of  claim 10 , wherein all of the R o  and R m  groups on all three rings A, B or C are hydrogen. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein all three R p  are —NR 1 R 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein G is deuterium. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein the organic group may be substituted with one or more additional leuco colorant moieties conforming to the structure of Formula I. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein R 4  is selected from the group consisting of alkyleneoxy, oxoalkyleneoxy, oxoalkyleneamine, epichlorohydrin, quaternized epichlorohydrin, alkyleneamine, hydroxyalkylene, acyloxyalkylene, carboxyalkylene, carboalkoxyalkylene, and sugar. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry care composition of  claim 5 , wherein the suitable independently selected external counterions are selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Mg, Ca, iminium, ammonium, phosphonium, fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, perchlorate, hydrogen sulfate, sulfate, aminosulfate, nitrate, dihydrogen phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, phosphate, bicarbonate, carbonate, methosulfate, ethosulfate, cyanate, thiocyanate, tetrachlorozincate, borate, tetrafluoroborate, acetate, chloroacetate, cyanoacetate, hydroxyacetate, aminoacetate, methylaminoacetate, di- and tri-chloroacetate, 2-chloro-propionate, 2-hydroxypropionate, glycolate, thioglycolate, thioacetate, phenoxyacetate, trimethylacetate, valerate, palmitate, acrylate, oxalate, malonate, crotonate, succinate, citrate, methylene-bis-thioglycolate, ethylene-bis-iminoacetate, nitrilotriacetate, fumarate, maleate, benzoate, methylbenzoate, chlorobenzoate, dichlorobenzoate, hydroxybenzoate, aminobenzoate, phthalate, terephthalate, indolylacetate, chlorobenzenesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, toluenesulfonate, biphenyl-sulfonate and chlorotoluenesulfonate. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry care ingredient is selected from the group consisting of surfactants, builders, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dispersants, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, polymeric dispersing agents, clay soil removal agents, anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, perfume, perfume delivery systems, structurants, fabric softeners, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids, pigments, antioxidants and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A method for treating textile articles comprising the steps of: (a) providing the laundry care composition of  claim 1 ; (b) adding the laundry care composition to a liquid medium; (c) placing textile articles in the liquid medium; (d) optionally, rinsing the textile; and (e) drying the textile articles. 
     
     
         19 . A method of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a laundry care composition comprising (i) at least one laundry care ingredient and (ii) a leuco composition;   (b) providing a functional age scale comprising a plurality of distinct colors wherein each distinct color corresponds to a unique functional age; and   (c) comparing the color of the laundry care composition with the functional age scale.   
     
     
         20 . The method of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition of  claim 19 , further comprising providing a package and wherein the functional age scale is provided on the package.