Black dichroic dye

A composition, comprising:

• a dye of formula A:
• and a dye of formula B:
• Ar1—N═N—[Ar2—N═N—]qAr3—N═N—Ar4 (B),
• wherein each of n, m, and p is from 0 to 2;
• q is 0 or 1;
• Ar1 is one of the formulae:
• Ar2 and Ar3 are independently 1,4-phenylene, 1,4-phenylene substituted by one or two R5, or 1,4-naphthylene;
• Ar4 is naphthyl substituted by one or two residues C1-C8alkylamino, one or two residues di(C1-C8alkyl)amino, one or two residues di(C1-C8alkyl)amino whose alkyl groups are linked together to form one common bridging group C1-C8alkylene or C2-C8alkylene interrupted by O or S or NR′3 or any combination thereof, or two residues C1-C8alkylamino whose alkyl groups are linked together to form one common bridging group C1-C8alkylene or C2-C8alkylene interrupted by O or S or NR′3 or any combination thereof;
• or thiophenyl substituted by R11 and optionally further substituted by C1-C8alkyl, phenyl, halogen, or CN;
• either R1 is substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C12cycloalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C3-C5cycloalkyl interrupted by O, S, or NR′3;
• and R3 is H, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C12cycloalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C3-C5cycloalkyl interrupted by O, S, or NR′3;
• or
• R1 and R3 together are substituted or unsubstituted C2-C12alkylene, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C8allylene interrupted by O, S, NR′3, or any combination thereof, thus forming, together with a nitrogen atom, an aliphatic N-heterocyclic residue of 2 to 12 carbon atoms;
• R′3 is H or C1-C8alkyl;
• each of R4, R5 and R6, are independently selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted or substituted C1-C4alkyl, C1-C4alkoxy, halogen, and CN;
• X is H, Hal, or COOR2;
• Xb is Hal, COOR2, CN, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl, or C1-C12alkyl-cyclohexyl,
• Hal is CF3, or halogen;
• R2 is unsubstituted or substituted C1-C12alkyl;
• R8 is C1-C12alkyl with an optionally substituted alkyl moiety, C1-C12alkoxy with an optionally substituted alkyl moiety, C1-C12alkyl-phenyl with an optionally substituted alkyl moiety, C1-C12alkyl-cyclohexyl with an optionally substituted alkyl moiety, C1-C12alkoxy-cyclohexyl with an optionally substituted alkyl moiety, C3-C12cycloalkyl, phenyl, CN, or Hal;
• R12 and R13 are independently H;
• Hal;
• nitro;
• formyl;
• SCN;
• CN;
• COOR2;
• COR2;
• C1-C12alkyl;
• C1-C12alkoxy;
• C1-C12alkylthio;
• C1-C12alkyl-SO2;
• phenyl;
• phenoxy;
• phenyl-SO2;
• phenyl substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, or C1-C8alkylthio;
• phenoxy substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, or C1-C8alkylthio;
• phenyl-SO2 substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, or C1-C8alkylthio;
• C2-C12alkyl interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkoxy interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkylthio interrupted by O;
• C1-C8alkyl substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C2-C3alkenyl substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C1-C8alkoxy substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• or C1-C8alkylthio substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• or R12 and R13 together are C3-C4alkylene;
• R14 is H;
• Hal;
• CN;
• SCN;
• COOR2;
• COR2;
• C1-C12alkyl;
• C3-C12cycloalkyl;
• C1-C12alkoxy;
• C1-C12alkylthio;
• C1-C12alkylamino;
• di(C1-C12alkyl)amino;
• pyrrolidinyl;
• piperidinyl;
• morpholinyl;
• phenyl;
• phenyl-SO2;
• phenyl substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, or C1-C8alkylthio;
• C2-C12alkyl interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkoxy interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkylthio interrupted by O;
• C1-C8alkyl substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C2-C3alkenyl substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C1-C8alkoxy substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• or C1-C8alkylthio substituted by CN, COOR2, phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• R15 is H;
• Hal;
• OCF3;
• CN;
• COOR2;
• COR2;
• C1-C12alkyl;
• C1-C12alkoxy;
• C1-C12alkylthio;
• C1-C12alkylamino;
• di(C1-C2alkyl)amino;
• C1-C2alkyl-CONH;
• C1-C12alkyl-SO2;
• pyrrolidinyl di(C1-C4alkyl)amino;
• morpholinyl;
• phenyl;
• phenyl-SO2;
• phenyl substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, C1-C8alkylthio, CN, CF3, or OCF3;
• phenyl-SO2 substituted by phenyl, C1-C8alkyl, cyclohexyl, C1-C8alkoxy, C1-C8alkylthio, CN, CF3, or OCF3;
• C2-C12alkyl interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkoxy interrupted by O;
• C3-C12alkylthio interrupted by O;
• C1-C8alkyl substituted by CN, COOR2, COR2, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C2-C3alkenyl substituted by CN, COOR2, COR2, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C1-C8alkoxy substituted by CN, COOR2, COR2, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• C1-C8alkylthio substituted by CN, COOR2, COR2, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• or C1-C8alkyl-SO2 substituted by CN, COOR2, COR2, phenyl, R8-substituted phenyl, fluoro, or CF3;
• R16 and R17 are independently H, halogen, nitro, C1-C12alkyl, or C1-C12alkoxy.