# US 8,540,359 B2 · Electronic inks

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- Number: US 8,540,359 B2
- Document ID: US8540359B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/386,329
- Filed: 2009-10-16
- Published: 2012-09-27
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-16
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Zhang-Lin Zhou; Jeffrey Todd Mabeck; Richard H. Henze
- Inventors: Zhang-Lin Zhou; Jeffrey Todd Mabeck; Richard H. Henze
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540359B2

## CPC

- C09D 11/36: based on non-aqueous solvents
- C09D 7/41: Organic pigments; Organic dyes
- C09D 7/61: inorganic
- C09D 7/68: {Particle size between 100-1000 nm}
- C09D 7/70: {characterised by shape, e.g. fibres, flakes or microspheres}
- C09D 11/322: Pigment inks
- C08K 3/013: Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
- C08K 9/08: Ingredients agglomerated by treatment with a binding agent
- C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D)
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)

## Abstract

Electronic inks are disclosed herein. The electronic ink includes a non-polar carrier fluid, a plurality of positively charged colorant particles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid, and a plurality of reverse co-micelles including a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent. The basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic ink, comprising:
a non-polar carrier fluid;
a plurality of positively charged colorant particles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid; and
a plurality of negatively charged reverse co-micelles, each of which includes, as respective components, a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent, wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of single reverse micelles in the non-polar carrier fluid, wherein the single reverse micelles are selected from reverse micelles of the basic charge director and reverse micelles of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 1000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the positively charged colorant particles include a magenta particle selected from:
wherein R1 through R6 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an arylalkyl group, a substituted arylalkyl group, a halogen atom, —NO2, —O—Rd, —CO—Rd, —CO—O—Rd, —O—CO—Rd, —CO—NRdRe, —NRdRe, —NRd—CO—Re, —NRd—CO—O—Re, —NRd—CO—NReRf, —SRd, —SO—Rd, —SO2—Rd, —SO2—O—Rd, —SO2NRdRe or a perfluoroalkyl group, wherein Rd, Re and Rf are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an aryl group, and a substituted aryl group.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein a zeta potential of the electronic ink ranges from +20 mV to +150 mV.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the acidic charge controlling agent is a poly(hydroxyl)aliphatic acid, and wherein the basic charge director is selected from i) polyisobutylene succinimide amine, ii) chargeable, dissociable, and ionizable molecules selected from the group consisting of sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate and dioctyl sulfosuccinate, and iii) Lecithin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-polar carrier fluid is a non-polar solvent selected from perchloroethylene, halocarbons, cyclohexane, dodecane, mineral oil, isoparafinnic fluids, siloxanes, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein a surface of the positively charged colorant particles is coated with a polymer resin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the positively charged colorant particles are selected from yellow pigment particles, green pigment particles, brown pigment particles, cyan pigment particles, blue pigment particles, magenta pigment particles, red pigment particles, orange pigment particles, white pigment particles, spot-color pigment particles, and black pigment particles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electronic ink as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of positively charged colorant particles includes:
a colorant particle core; and
positively charged basic charge director reverse micelles adsorbed to a surface of the colorant particle core.

### Claim 11

An electronic ink, comprising:
a non-polar carrier fluid;
a plurality of positively charged colorant particles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid; and
a plurality of reverse co-micelles including a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent, wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent;
wherein the acidic charge controlling agent is:
wherein m= an integer from 3 to 150 and n= an integer from 6 to 18; and wherein the basic charge director is:
wherein n is selected from a whole number ranging from 15 to 100.

### Claim 12

A method for making an electronic ink, comprising:
adding a plurality of colorant particles to a non-polar carrier fluid; and
incorporating a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent as respective components into the non-polar carrier fluid, the basic charge director having a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent, thereby forming a plurality of positively charged colorant particles and a plurality of negatively charged reverse co-micelles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid, each reverse co-micelle including the basic charge director and the acidic charge controlling agent as respective components.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method as defined in claim 12 wherein an amount of the basic charge director incorporated into the non-polar carrier fluid ranges from i) being equal to an amount of the acidic charge controlling agent incorporated into the non-polar carrier fluid to ii) being double an amount of the acidic charge controlling agent incorporated into the non-polar carrier fluid.

### Claim 14

An electronic device, comprising:
a substrate; and
at least one layer of an electronic ink established on the substrate, the electronic ink including:
a non-polar carrier fluid;
a plurality of positively charged colorant particles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid; and
a plurality of negatively charged reverse co-micelles, each of which includes, as respective components, a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent, wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electronic device as defined in claim 14 wherein the plurality of positively charged colorant particles exhibit a first color and wherein the electronic device further comprises at least one other layer of an electronic ink established on the at least one layer, the at least one other layer at least including a plurality of charged colorant particles exhibiting a second color different from the first color.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The electronic device as defined in claim 14 wherein the positively charged colorant particles include a magenta particle selected from:
wherein R1 through R6 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an arylalkyl group, a substituted arylalkyl group, a halogen atom, —NO2, —O—Rd, —CO—Rd, —CO—O—Rd, —O—CO—Rd, —CO—NRdRe, —NRdRe, —NRd—CO—Re, —NRd—CO—O—Re, —NRd—CO—NReRf, —SRd, —SO—Rd, —SO2—Rd, —SO2—O—Rd, —SO2NRdRe or a perfluoroalkyl group, wherein Rd, Re and Rf are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an aryl group, and a substituted aryl group.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The electronic device as defined in claim 14, wherein the electronic ink further comprises a plurality of single reverse micelles in the non-polar carrier fluid, wherein the single reverse micelles are selected from reverse micelles of the basic charge director and reverse micelles of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The electronic device as defined in claim 14 wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 1000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The electronic device as defined in claim 14 wherein the acidic charge controlling agent is a polymeric surfactant, and wherein the basic charge director is selected from i) neutral, non-dissociable, and chargeable molecules, ii) chargeable, dissociable, and ionizable molecules, and iii) zwitterions.

### Claim 20

The electronic device, comprising:
a substrate; and
at least one layer of an electronic ink established on the substrate, the electronic ink including:
a non-polar carrier fluid
a plurality of positively charged colorant particles dispersed in the non-polar carrier fluid; and
a plurality of reverse co-micelles including a basic charge director and an acidic charge controlling agent, wherein the basic charge director has a molecular weight that is within 5000 of a molecular weight of the acidic charge controlling agent;
wherein the acidic charge controlling agent is:
wherein m= an integer from 10 to 150 and n= an integer from 6 to 12; and wherein the basic charge director is:
wherein n is selected from a whole number ranging from 15 to 100.