Method of coloring hair with washfast blue imidazolium direct dye compounds

A method of dyeing the hair, the method comprising:

• a. applying to the hair a hair color composition comprising one or more direct dye compounds, the one or more direct dye compounds each comprising:
• i. a blue-violet or blue chromophore;
• ii. one or two permanent cations, wherein the permanent cations are pendant to the chromophore or part of the chromophore, and wherein the chromophore and the permanent cations form a core structure;
• and
• iii. one to four incipient cations, wherein each of the one to four incipient cations is pendant via a linker group to the core structure, and wherein the incipient cations are neutral;
• iv. one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties, wherein the one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties are pendant to the core structure;
• wherein the one or more direct dye compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair color composition is applied to the hair;
• and
• wherein the hair color composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 11;
• b. rinsing the hair with water;
• wherein the pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3 to about 6;
• and
• wherein the rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft,
• wherein the chromophore has a structure according to Formula (XI), or a tautomer or salt thereof,
• wherein
• (i) R2h, R2j, R2k and R2m are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, cyano, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with or without a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with or without a linker group, vinylsulfone with or without a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with or without a linker group, halo-s-triazines with or without a linker group, halopyrimidines with or without a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with or without a linker group;
• (ii) R2b, R2c, R2e, R2f and R2p are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group;
• alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group;
• (iii) R2g and R2h, are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, acyl, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl;
• acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;
• (iv) R2a and R2d are each independently alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinyl sulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group;
• and
• (v) X, Y and Z are each independently a carbon or a nitrogen atom;
• wherein the total number of nitrogen atoms among X, Y and Z equals to 0 or 1;
• the total number of carbon atoms among X, Y and Z equals to 2 or 3;
• and, in the case where one of X, Y, Z is a nitrogen atom, the corresponding group attached to the nitrogen atom, one of R2e, R2f, or R2p, ceases to exist.

A method of dyeing the hair, the method comprising:

• a. applying to the hair a hair color composition comprising one or more direct dye compounds, the one or more direct dye compounds each comprising:
• i. a blue-violet or blue chromophore;
• ii. one or two permanent cations, wherein the permanent cations are pendant to the chromophore or part of the chromophore, and wherein the chromophore and the permanent cations form a core structure;
• and
• iii. one to four incipient cations, wherein each of the one to four incipient cations is pendant via a linker group to the core structure, and wherein the incipient cations are neutral;
• iv. one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties, wherein the one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties are pendant to the core structure;
• wherein the one or more direct dye compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair color composition is applied to the hair;
• and
• wherein the hair color composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 11;
• b. rinsing the hair with water;
• wherein the pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3.5 to about 6;
• and
• wherein the rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft,
• wherein the chromophore has a structure according to Formula (XII), or a tautomer or salt thereof,
• wherein
• R3j, R3k, R3m, R3n, R3p, R3r, R3s, and R3t are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, carboxyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, cyano, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with or without a linker group, vinylsulfone with or without a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with or without a linker group, halo-s-triazines with or without a linker group, halopyrimidines with or without a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with or without a linker group;
• (ii) R3b, R3c, R3e, R3f, R3g, and R3h are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;
• (iii) R3a and R3d are each independently, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, thiol with a linker group, alkyl sulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group.