Colorant compounds

A compound which is a dimeric material comprising two moieties of the formula

• wherein R1 is
• (i) a hydrogen atom,
• (ii) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (iii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iv) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the aryl or the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or
• (v) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the alkyl or the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group,
• R2 is
• (i) a hydrogen atom,
• (ii) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (iii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iv) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the aryl or the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group,
• (v) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the alkyl or the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group, or
• (vi) a substituent selected from hydroxy groups, halogen atoms, amine groups, imine groups, ammonium groups, cyano groups, pyridine groups, pyridinium groups, ether groups, aldehyde groups, ketone groups, ester groups, amide groups, carbonyl groups, thiocarbonyl groups, sulfate groups, sulfonate groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfide groups, sulfoxide groups, phosphine groups, phosphonium groups, phosphate groups, nitrile groups, mercapto groups, nitro groups, nitroso groups, sulfone groups, acyl groups, acid anhydride groups, azide groups, azo groups, cyanato groups, isocyanato groups, thiocyanato groups, isothiocyanato groups, carboxylate groups, carboxylic acid groups, urethane groups, urea groups, or mixtures thereof, wherein two or more substituents can be joined together to form a ring,
• R3 is
• (i) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (ii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iii) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the aryl or the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group,
• (iv) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the alkyl or the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group, or
• (v) a substituent selected from hydroxy groups, halogen atoms, amine groups, imine groups, ammonium groups, cyano groups, pyridine groups, pyridinium groups, ether groups, aldehyde groups, ketone groups, ester groups, amide groups, carbonyl groups, thiocarbonyl groups, sulfate groups, sulfonate groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfide groups, sulfoxide groups, phosphine groups, phosphonium groups, phosphate groups, nitrile groups, mercapto groups, nitro groups, nitroso groups, sulfone groups, acyl groups, acid anhydride groups, azide groups, azo groups, cyanato groups, isocyanato groups, thiocyanato groups, isothiocyanato groups, carboxylate groups, carboxylic acid groups, urethane groups, urea groups, or mixtures thereof, wherein two or more substituents can be joined together to form a ring,
• m is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4,
• R4 is
• (i) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (ii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iii) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the aryl or the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group,
• (iv) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the alkyl or the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group, or
• (v) a substituent selected from hydroxy groups, halogen atoms, amine groups, imine groups, ammonium groups, cyano groups, pyridine groups, pyridinium groups, ether groups, aldehyde groups, ketone groups, ester groups, amide groups, carbonyl groups, thiocarbonyl groups, sulfate groups, sulfonate groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfide groups, sulfoxide groups, phosphine groups, phosphonium groups, phosphate groups, nitrile groups, mercapto groups, nitro groups, nitroso groups, sulfone groups, acyl groups, acid anhydride groups, azide groups, azo groups, cyanato groups, isocyanato groups, thiocyanato groups, isothiocyanato groups, carboxylate groups, carboxylic acid groups, urethane groups, urea groups, or mixtures thereof, wherein two or more substituents can be joined together to form a ring,
• n is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4,
• R5 is
• (i) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (ii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iii) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the aryl or the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group,
• (iv) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in either the alkyl or the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group, or
• (v) a substituent selected from hydroxy groups, halogen atoms, amine groups, imine groups, ammonium groups, cyano groups, pyridine groups, pyridinium groups, ether groups, aldehyde groups, ketone groups, ester groups, amide groups, carbonyl groups, thiocarbonyl groups, sulfate groups, sulfonate groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfide groups, sulfoxide groups, phosphine groups, phosphonium groups, phosphate groups, nitrile groups, mercapto groups, nitro groups, nitroso groups, sulfone groups, acyl groups, acid anhydride groups, azide groups, azo groups, cyanato groups, isocyanato groups, thiocyanato groups, isothiocyanato groups, carboxylate groups, carboxylic acid groups, urethane groups, urea groups, or mixtures thereof, wherein two or more substituents can be joined together to form a ring,
• p is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4,
• R6 is
• (i) a direct bond,
• (ii) an alkylene group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkylene group,
• (iii) an arylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the arylene group,
• (iv) an arylalkylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portions of the arylalkylene group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portions of the arylalkylene group, or
• (v) an alkylarylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted alkylarylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portions of the arylalkylene group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portions of the alkylarylene group,
• G is
• (1) an alkylene group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkylene group,
• (2) an arylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the arylene group,
• (3) an arylalkylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted arylalkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portions of the arylalkylene group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portions of the arylalkylene group,
• (4) an alkylarylene group, including unsubstituted and substituted alkylarylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portions of the alkylarylene group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portions of the alkylarylene group,
• (5) a group of the formula
• (6) a group of the formula
• (7) a group of the formula
• or (8) a group of the formula
• R7 is
• (i) an alkylene group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkylene group,
• (ii) an arylene group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the arylene group,
• (iii) an arylalkylene group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portion of the arylalkylene group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the arylalkylene group, or
• (iv) an alkylarylene group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylarylene groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the alkylarylene group and are not present in the aryl portion of the alkylarylene group,
• R8 is
• (i) a hydrogen atom,
• (ii) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (iii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl group,
• (iv) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portion of the arylalkyl group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or
• (v) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group and are not present in the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group,
• X is —O— or —NR9—, and
• R9 is
• (i) a hydrogen atom,
• (ii) an alkyl group, including linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic, substituted, and unsubstituted alkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl group,
• (iii) an aryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms may not be present in the aryl group,
• (iv) an arylalkyl group, including substituted and unsubstituted arylalkyl groups, and wherein hetero atoms are not present in the aryl portion of the arylalkyl group and either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the arylalkyl group, or
• (v) an alkylaryl group, including substituted and unsubstituted alkylaryl groups, and wherein hetero atoms either may or may not be present in the alkyl portion of the alkylaryl group and are not present in the aryl portion of the alkylaryl group.