Multi-chromophoric azo pyridone colorants

A phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound comprising three or more moieties of the formula

• wherein (A) each R1, independently of the others, is (i) an alkyl or alkylene group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl and alkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl or alkylene group, (ii) an aryl or arylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted aryl and arylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl or arylene group, (iii) an arylalkyl or arylalkylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkyl and arylalkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl or arylalkylene group, (iv) an alkylaryl or alkylarylene group, including unsubstituted and sustituted alkylaryl and alkylarylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl or alkylarylene group, (v) a silyl and silylene groups, and including polysilylene groups, or (vi) a siloxy group, including unsubstituted and substituted siloxy groups, and including polysiloxane groups, (B) each R2, independently of the others, is (i) an alkyl or alkylene group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl and alkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl or alkylene group, (ii) an aryl or arylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted aryl and arylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl or arylene group, (iii) an arylalkyl or arylalkylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkyl and arylalkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the and portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl or arylalkylene group, (iv) an alkylaryl or alkylarylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted alkylaryl and alkylarylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl or alkylarylene group, (v) a silyl or silylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted silyl and silylene groups, and including polysilylene groups, (vi) a siloxy group, including unsubstituted and substituted siloxane groups, and including polysiloxane groups, (vii) a group of the formula
• wherein r and s are each, independently of the other, integers representing a number of repeat —CH2— groups, (C) each R3, independently of the others, is (i) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, (ii) an aryl group, including unsubstituted and substituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the arly group, (iii) an arylalkyl group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or (iv) an alkylaryl group, including unsubstituted and substituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, (D) each X, independently of the others, is (i) a direct bond, (ii) an oxygen atom, (iii) a sulfur atom, (iv) a group of the formula —NR40— wherein R40 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, including substituted alkylaryl and unsubstituted groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or (v) a group of the formula —CR50R60— wherein R50 and R60 each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted and groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, and (E) each Z, independently of the others, is (i) a hydrogen atom, (ii) a halogen atom, (iii) a nitro group, (iv) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, (v) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, (vi) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, (vii) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, (viii) a group of the formula
• wherein R70 is an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the and portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, a silyl group, including unsubstituted and substituted silyl groups, and including polysilylene groups, or a siloxy group, including unsubstituted and substituted siloxy groups, and including polysiloxane groups, (ix) a sulfonyl group of the formula —SO2R80 wherein R80 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the and portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, a silyl group, including unsubstituted and substituted silyl groups, and including polysilylene groups, or a siloxy group, including unsubstituted and substituted siloxy groups, and including polysiloxane groups, or (x) a phosphoryl group of the formula —PO30R90 wherein R90 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, unsubstituted, and substituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group, an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group, an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubsiltuted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either or both of the aryl portion and the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group, a silyl group, including unsubstituted and substituted silyl groups, and including polysilylene groups, or a siloxy group, including unsubstituted and substituted siloxy groups, and including polysiloxane groups;
• said moieties being bonded to a central atom, monomeric group of atoms, oligomer, or polymer.