Inspired by the application
of dopamine as an “anchor”
and UV absorber, novel sustainable colorants with biscatecholic structure
were synthesized through a simple incorporation of simple azo chromophores
with dopamine. Their structures were confirmed using MS and NMR analyses,
and their application on textile materials was investigated. Compared
to the simple azo chromophores with almost no coloring ability on
fabrics, the biscatecholic colorants could color different fabrics
effectively, mainly through self-polymerization only in the presence
of a trace amount of organic base at room temperature, which is environmentally
friendly in terms of saving resources and alleviating chemical pollution.
Meanwhile, the UV resistance of colored fabrics was enhanced significantly,
showing the advantage of protecting wearers from UV damage.