Dyes of formula (1)

##STR00001##

their production and their use.

A latent additive which is represented by general formula (1). (In the formula, A represents a five-membered or six-membered aromatic ring or heterocyclic ring; each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a carboxyl group, an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1-40 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6-20 carbon atoms, an arylalkyl group having 7-20 carbon atoms or a heterocyclic ring-containing group having 2-20 carbon atoms; and R.sup.4 represents an alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2-20 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6-20 carbon atoms, an arylalkyl group having 7-20 carbon atoms, a heterocyclic ring-containing group having 2-20 carbon atoms or a trialkylsilyl group.)

An azo compound excellent in solubility in solvent and having a high absorbance coefficient is disclosed, as well as an ink containing the azo compound. Such an ink contains a solvent having a relative permittivity at 22° C. and at a measurement frequency of 1 kHz of 3 or less and having a solubility in water at 25° C. of 20 mg/L or less, and an azo compound.

A new azobenzene-based fluorescence quencher with excellent solubility in aqueous solution is described here. This compound represents an optimized alternative to dabcyl in a variety of biomolecular applications, like fluorogenic protease substrates or nucleic acids probes.

Provided is a composition containing a compound of formula (1), and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound or a liquid crystalline polymer compound. n represents 1 or 2; Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, and Ar.sup.3 each represent a 1,4-phenylene group or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group; At least one of Art and Ar.sup.2 has a fluorine atom; R.sup.1 represents a single bond or a group selected from —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —C≡C—, —CH═CH—, —CH═N—, —N═N—, and —N═CH—; R.sup.2 represents an alkylamino group or an alkoxy group; R.sup.3 represents a group selected from an alkanediyl group, an alkanediyloxy group, an alkanediyloxycarbonyl group, and an alkanediylcarbonyloxy group; and R.sup.4 represents a polymerizable group or a hydrogen atom.

R.sup.4—R.sup.3—Ar.sup.1—(—R.sup.1—Ar.sup.2—).sub.n—N═N—Ar—R.sup.2   (1)

The invention relates to cationic direct dyes of the formula I (1), wherein m and n are independently from each other 0 or 1, D is an aromatic or a cationic heteroaromatic group, which are further specified, K is an aromatic or heteroaromatic group, E.sub.1 and E.sub.2 are independently from each other CH or N, An is an anion and a is a number from 1 to 6 and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently from each other and further specified. The compounds show washfastness at hair-dying. ##STR00001##

A composition contains a compound of formula (1), and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound or a liquid crystalline polymer compound. n represents 1 or 2; Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, and Ar.sup.3 each represent a 1,4-phenylene group or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group; At least one of Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 has a fluorine atom; R.sup.1 represents a single bond or a group selected from OC(?O), C(?O)O, C?C, CH?CH, CH?N, N?N, and N?CH; R.sup.2 represents an alkylamino group or an alkoxy group; R.sup.3 represents a group selected from an alkanediyl group, an alkanediyloxy group, an alkanediyloxycarbonyl group, and an alkanediylcarbonyloxy group; and R.sup.4 represents a polymerizable group or a hydrogen atom.
R.sup.4R.sup.3Ar.sup.1(R.sup.1Ar.sup.2).sub.nN?NAr.sup.3R.sup.2(1)

Electrowetting apparatus including at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: ##STR00001##
wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is independently an alkyl group. In examples a fluid includes a dye compound selected from: ##STR00002##

Dyes of formula (1) ##STR00001##
their production and their use are described.

The invention relates to cationic direct dyes of the formula I (1), wherein m and n are independently from each other 0 or 1, D is an aromatic or a cationic heteroaromatic group, which are further specified, K is an aromatic or heteroaromatic group, E.sub.1 and E.sub.2 are independently from each other CH or N, An is an anion and a is a number from 1 to 6 and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently from each other and further specified. The compounds show washfastness at hair-dying.

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