Cationic dyes containing an optionally substituted bicyclic or polycyclic aryloxyalkyl group

A dye of the formula

• P--N=N--K' A.sup.-,
• wherein
• P is ##STR578## wherein R'.sub.8 is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• alkenyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkenyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• cyclohexyl;
• cyclohexyl substituted by alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• or ##STR579## R'.sub.9 is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• cyclohexyl;
• cyclohexyl substituted by alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• phenyl;
• phenyl substituted by halo, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• or ##STR580## R'.sub.10 is hydrogen or R'.sub.9, R'.sub.11 is alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• alkenyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkenyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by hydroxy, halo, cyano, phenyl or carbamoyl;
• or ##STR581## each R'.sub.12 is independently phenyl, halo, nitro, cyano, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or ##STR582## each of R'.sub.16 and R'.sub.17 is independently hydrogen;
• halo;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by phenyl, hydroxy, carbamoyl, cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms, cyano or halo;
• alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by phenyl, hydroxy, carbamoyl, cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms, cyano or halo;
• phenoxy;
• --CO--Ro;
• --CO--O--Ro;
• --CO--NH--Ro;
• --CO--N(Ro).sub.2 ;
• --NH--CO--Ro;
• --SO.sub.2 --Ro;
• --SO.sub.2 --NH--Ro;
• --SO.sub.2 --N(Ro).sub.2 ;
• --NH--SO.sub.2 --Ro or ##STR583## wherein each Ro is independently alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenyl, or
• R'.sub.16 and R' are on adjacent carbon atoms and taken together are --CH=CH--CH=CH--,
• and
• q is 0, 1 or 2, ##STR584## wherein each of R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 is independently hydrogen;
• phenyl;
• cyclohexyl;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by alkoxycarbonyl wherein the alkoxy moiety has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzoyloxy, phenoxy, halo, hydroxy, phenyl, cyano, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylcarbonyloxy wherein the alkyl moiety has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, N,N-dialkylamino wherein each alkyl independently has 1 to 4 carbon atoms or ##STR585## with the proviso that when one of R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 is phenyl or cyclohexyl, the other is other than phenyl or cyclohexyl, or
• R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 taken together and with the nitrogen atom to which they are joined are ##STR586## wherein Ro is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenyl,
• R'.sub.19 is phenyl, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by phenyl,
• R'.sub.20 is hydrogen, phenyl or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• R.sub.21 is hyrogen, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or halo,
• R.sub.22 is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• each
• R.sub.23 is independently alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• R.sub.24 is hydroxy, amino or anilino,
• R.sub.25 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• R.sub.26 is hydrogen, halo, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• each of
• R.sub.181 and R.sub.191 is independently hydrogen;
• phenyl;
• cyclohexyl;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkyl of 1 to 4carbon atoms substituted by alkoxycarbonyl wherein the alkoxy moiety has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzoyloxy, phenoxy, halo, hydroxy, phenyl, cyano, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylcarboxyloxy wherein the alkyl moiety has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, N,N-dialkylamino wherein each alkyl independently has 1 to 4 carbon atoms or ##STR587## with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.181 and R.sub.191 is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and
• W is =0 or =NH, and
• A.sup.- is an anion, with the proviso that each molecule contains 1 to 3 groups of the formula ##STR588## each of which is independently a significance of R'.sub.8 , R'.sub.9 , R'.sub.10 , R'.sub.11 , R'.sub.12 , R'.sub.16 or R'.sub.17 or is attached to R.sub.18, R.sub.19, R.sub.181 or R.sub.191,
• wherein each
• Q is biphenylyl, dibenzofuranyl, carbazolyl, dibenzothienyl, dibenzothiophendioxydyl, dibenzothiophenmonoxydyl, fluorenyl or fluorenonyl, or a substituted derivative thereof having 1 or 2 substituents, wherein each substituent is independently hydroxy;
• halo;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by halo, hydroxy, cyano, phenyl or phenoxy;
• alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by halo, hydroxy, cyano, phenyl or phenoxy;
• cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms;
• cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms substituted by alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• trifluoromethyl;
• cyano;
• nitro;
• phenoxy;
• phenylazo;
• --CO--Ro;
• --CO--O--Ro;
• --O--CO--Ro;
• --CO--NH--Ro;
• --CO--N(Ro).sub.2 ;
• --NH--CO--Ro;
• --SO.sub.2 --Ro, --SO.sub.2 --NH--Ro, --SO.sub.2 --N(Ro).sub.2 ;
• --O--SO.sub.2 --N(Ro).sub.2 ;
• ##STR589## wherein each Ro is independently alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenyl, and
• each
• X is --CO-- or --SO.sub.2 --,
• each
• R.sub.1 is independently hydrogen, phenyl, cycloalkyl of 5 to 6 carbon atoms, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms substituted by halo, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenoxy, and each
• x is 1, 2 or 3,
• wherein each halo is independently chloro, bromo or iodo.