Ink composition including chromophore-mimic additive and inkjet printer cartridge and inkjet recording apparatus including the same

An ink composition, comprising:

• at least one macro-chromophore-containing colorant;
• at least one chromophore-mimic additive that interacts with the at least one a macro-chromophore-containing colorant;
• and
• a liquid vehicle,
• wherein the chromophore-mimic additive is selected from the group consisting of:
• an aromatic ring compound in which at least one aromatic ring having C6-C20 are fused or connected through carbons and which is represented by one of formulae (13a) through (13h):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10, and
• Y is O, N, S, or P, and
• a is an integer of 1 to 10;
• a C3-C30 alicyclic or ring compound comprising at least one electron conjugation or electron delocalization and is represented by one of the formulae (14a) through (14e):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine, carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10,
• X1 is O, N, S, or P,
• X2 is O, N, S, or P,
• Y is O, N, S, or P,
• I is an integer of 1 to 10,
• p is an integer of 1 to 9,
• m is an integer of 1 to 9, and
• n is an integer of 1 to 6;
• and
• a C4-C12 single or multi-aromatic ring compound comprising at least one heteroatom and is represented by one of formulae (15a) through (15d):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine, carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10, and
• X3 is O, N, S, or R.

An ink set, comprising:

• a first ink composition, comprising:
• at least one macro-chromophore-containing colorant,
• at least one chromophore-mimic additive that interacts with the at least one macro-chromophore-containing colorant, and
• a liquid vehicle;
• and
• a second ink composition that is different from the first ink composition.

An image forming method, comprising:

• incorporating into an image forming apparatus an ink composition comprising at least one macro-chromophore-containing colorant, at least one chromophore-mimic additive, and a liquid vehicle;
• and
• ejecting droplets of the ink composition in an image-wise pattern onto a substrate,
• wherein the chromophore-mimic additive is selected from the group consisting of:
• an aromatic ring compound in which at least one aromatic ring having C6-C20 are fused or connected through carbons and which is represented by one of formulae (13a) through (13h):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10, and
• Y is O, N, S, or P, and
• a is an integer of 1 to 10;
• a C3-C30 alicyclic or ring compound comprising at least one electron conjugation or electron delocalization and is represented by one of the formulae (14a) through (14e):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10,
• X1 is O, N, S, or P,
• X2 is O, N, S, or P,
• Y is O, N, S, or P,
• I is an integer of 1 to 10,
• p is an integer of 1 to 9,
• m is an integer of 1 to 9, and
• n is an integer of 1 to 6;
• and
• a C4-C12 single or multi-aromatic ring compound comprising at least one heteroatom and is represented by one of formulae (15a) through (15d):
• wherein:
• R1 is at least one monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20alkynyl, a C1-C20 alkoxy, a halogen, NO2, a nitrile, a substituted or unsubstituted primary, secondary or tertiary amine, an ammonium salt, a substituted or unsubstituted amide or imine, carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and salts thereof,
• R2 is a monosubstituted or polysubstituted substituent group selected from the group consisting of H, a C1-C8 ring or C4-C20 alicyclic group, a C1-C20 alkyl, a C2-C20 alkenyl, a C2-C20 alkynyl, (ethyleneglycol)qR3, (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)rR3, and (ethyleneglycol)q(propyleneglycol)r(ethyleneglycol)sR3,
• R3 is H, COOH, SO3H, a salt thereof, an amino group, or a salt thereof,
• q, r, and s are integers of 1 to 10, and
• X3 is O, N, S, or P.