Developments in dyestuff chemistry

Abstract

The a i m of this paper is to provide a summary of recent developments in the design and synthesis of organic colorants and to use that information to anticipate future directions in this field.As expected, a review of the patent literature published in Chemical Abstracts during the past three years revealed a sigruficantly higher proportion of research activity pertaining to the development of functional dyes as opposed to dyes for textiles.It is clear, however, that the number of patents describing new colorants for textiles is still growing.It is also clear that the road ahead is characterised by opportunities for dyestuff chemists to seize, if we look in the right places.