Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Waterborne Epoxy Resin Dye Containing Diazo Sulfatoethylsulfone Chromophore

A novel waterborne vinylsulfone-type polymeric dye (VPD), which utilizes epoxy resin as the backbone and includes p-phenyl-p-azobenzene-beta-sulfatoethylsulfone groups on the side chain, was designed and synthesized via the diazo coupling reaction between para-ester diazonium salt and an epoxy resin precursor. The formation of the desirable VPD was confirmed by organic elemental analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, H-1-NMR spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectrophotometry, respectively. The important structural dependent properties of solubility, dyeing properties, and thermal stability of the VPD were investigated. In addition, a very interesting consequent acidichromism behavior of the VPD when applied to cotton fabrics, induced by the dyeing effect of VPD in acidic solvents, is reported. The results show that this novel VPD has good thermal stability as well as excellent dyeing properties for cotton fabrics, revealing promising prospective application of VPDs in the fields of cloth dyeing and in pH indication.