Although the research actIvItIes of dyestuff chemists worldwide have been influenced to a great extent, in recent years, by the need to respond to a variety of environmental issues associated with the manufacture and application of synthetic dyes and pigments, a significant level of targeted research continues to be devoted to new chemistry aimed at enhancing the technical properties of dyes in commerce. This book is a presentation of various aspects of basic research conducted during the past decade but not reported in the recent review literature. The coverage herein is unique in that it emphasizes systematic approaches commonly utilized in the design and synthesis of dyes and pigments and the required intermediates. While it is well known that certain transition metals are important in the synthesis of technically viable metallized dyes for polyamide and protein fibers, these metals are demonstrated in Chapter 1 also to be effective agents in the regiospecific placement of substituents into azo compounds. The scope and limitations of this chemistry are presented. In other synthetic work, a description of the different processes employed to produce the major families of reactive dyes is presented. In Chapter 4, special attention is given to reactive dyes containing more than one reactive group, and to the more recent developments in the field. The two chapters which follow provide a review of the recent literature pertaining to novel chromophores and dyes for the D2T2 process, respectively.

Although the research actIvItIes of dyestuff chemists worldwide have been influenced to a great extent, in recent years, by the need to respond to a variety of environmental issues associated with the manufacture and application of synthetic dyes and pigments, a significant level of targeted research continues to be devoted to new chemistry aimed at enhancing the technical properties of dyes in commerce. This book is a presentation of various aspects of basic research conducted during the past decade but not reported in the recent review literature. The coverage herein is unique in that it emphasizes systematic approaches commonly utilized in the design and synthesis of dyes and pigments and the required intermediates. While it is well known that certain transition metals are important in the synthesis of technically viable metallized dyes for polyamide and protein fibers, these metals are demonstrated in Chapter 1 also to be effective agents in the regiospecific placement of substituents into azo compounds. The scope and limitations of this chemistry are presented. In other synthetic work, a description of the different processes employed to produce the major families of reactive dyes is presented. In Chapter 4, special attention is given to reactive dyes containing more than one reactive group, and to the more recent developments in the field. The two chapters which follow provide a review of the recent literature pertaining to novel chromophores and dyes for the D2T2 process, respectively.

At the beginning of this series of volumes on Color Chemistry, the editors pointed to a number of events that have served as stimuli for techno logical advances in the field, thus preventing dyestuff manufacturing from becoming what might otherwise be viewed by now as a 'sunset industry'. The volumes which followed have provided ample evidence for our belief that the field of colour chemistry is very much alive, though arguably in need of further stimulus. For instance, a viable approach to the design of new chromophores and to the design of metal-free acid, direct, and reactive dyes having fastness properties comparable to their metallized counterparts represent the kind of breakthroughs that would help ensure the continued success of this important field. While it must be acknowledged that serendipity 'smiled' on our discipline at its inception and has repeated the favor from time to time since then, few would argue against the proposition that most of the significant advances in the technology associated with any scientific discipline result from research designed to enhance our understanding of the fundamental causes for experimental observations, many of which are pursued because they are unexpected, intriguing and intellectually stimulating. Little reflection is required for one who knows the history of the dyestuff industry to realize that this is certainly true in the colour chemistry arena, as it was basic research that led to fiber-reactive dyes, dyes for high technology, and modern synthetic organic pigments."

At the beginning of this series of volumes on Color Chemistry, the editors pointed to a number of events that have served as stimuli for techno­ logical advances in the field, thus preventing dyestuff manufacturing from becoming what might otherwise be viewed by now as a 'sunset industry'. The volumes which followed have provided ample evidence for our belief that the field of colour chemistry is very much alive, though arguably in need of further stimulus. For instance, a viable approach to the design of new chromophores and to the design of metal-free acid, direct, and reactive dyes having fastness properties comparable to their metallized counterparts represent the kind of breakthroughs that would help ensure the continued success of this important field. While it must be acknowledged that serendipity 'smiled' on our discipline at its inception and has repeated the favor from time to time since then, few would argue against the proposition that most of the significant advances in the technology associated with any scientific discipline result from research designed to enhance our understanding of the fundamental causes for experimental observations, many of which are pursued because they are unexpected, intriguing and intellectually stimulating. Little reflection is required for one who knows the history of the dyestuff industry to realize that this is certainly true in the colour chemistry arena, as it was basic research that led to fiber-reactive dyes, dyes for high technology, and modern synthetic organic pigments.