Quaternary ammonium or phosphonium substituted peroxy carbonic acid precursors and their use in detergent bleach compositions

A bleaching-detergent composition comprising:

• (i) from 1 to 60% of a peroxygen compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution;
• (ii) from 0.1 to 40% of a bleach precursor having the formula:
• ##STR18## wherein:
• R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkaryl, aryl, phenyl, hydroxyalkyl, polyoxyalkylene, and R.sub.4 OCOL;
• or two or more of, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 together form an alkyl substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system;
• or at least one of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 is attached to R.sub.4 to form an alkyl substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system;
• R.sub.4 is selected from a bridging group consisting of alkylene, cycloalkylene, alkylenephenylene, phenylene, arylene, and polyalkoxylene;
• and wherein the bridging group can be unsubstituted or substituted with C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 atoms selected from alkyl, alkenyl, benzyl, phenyl and aryl radicals;
• Z.sup.- is a monovalent or multivalent anion leading to charge neutrality when combined with Q.sup.+ in the appropriate ratio and wherein Z.sup.- is sufficiently oxidatively stable not to interfere significantly with bleaching by a peroxy carbonic acid;
• Q is nitrogen or phosphorous;
• and
• L is a leaving group selected from the group consisting of:
• ##STR19## wherein R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are a C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 alkyl group, and Y is H;
• (iii) from 0 to 50% of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic, anionic, amphoteric and surface active mixtures thereof;
• and
• (iv) from 0 to 80% of a detergent builder.

A peroxy acid compound according to the formula:

• ##STR20## wherein:
• R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkaryl, aryl, phenyl, hydroxyalkyl, polyoxyalkylene, and mixtures thereof;
• or two or more of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 together form an alkyl substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system;
• or one of R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is attached to R.sub.4 to form an alkyl substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system;
• R.sub.4 is selected from a bridging group consisting of alkylene, cycloalkylene, alkylenephenylene, phenylene, arylene, and polyalkoxylene;
• and wherein the bridging group can be unsubstituted or substituted with C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 atom selected from alkyl, alkenyl, benzyl, phenyl and aryl radicals;
• Z.sup.- is a monovalent or multivalent anion leading to charge neutrality when combined with Q.sup.+ in the appropriate ratio and wherein Z.sup.- is sufficiently oxidatively stable not to interfere significantly with bleaching by a peroxy carbonic acid;
• and
• Q is nitrogen or phosphorous.