Preparation of functionalized cationic polymers and their application in personal care

1. A functional group (Fg) containing water-soluble cationic polymer obtained by reacting

(a) 0.1 to 99.9% by weight of at least one cationic base polymer of formula

with

(b) 0.1 to 99.9% by weight of at least one functional compound

wherein

R′ is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

M c represents a residue from an optional monomer (C);

n, m and p are mole fractions of the repeating units of monomers (A), (B) and (C), respectively, m+n+p=1, * is a terminal group and

Y − represents an anion,

where the functional compound is at least one epoxy or halohydrin compound which provides the functional group Fg as

 connected to at least a part of the amino groups of the base polymer,

where R is hydrogen, C1 to C30 alkyl, and

where the base polymer is prepared by copolymerization of at least one quaternary ammonium cationic monomer (A) and at least one monomer containing a reactive amine group (B) and optionally at least one monomer (C) other than (A) and (B),

where the quaternary ammonium monomers (A) are selected from diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride, diallyldimethyl ammonium bromide, diallyldimethyl ammonium sulfates and diallyldimethyl ammonium phosphates, and

where the monomers (B) are selected from diallylamines, and the weight amount of monomer A ranges from 99.8 to 50 weight percent of the base polymer.

2. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 of the formula

3. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 of the formula

where R 3 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or Fg.

4. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 where component (b) is 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl-dimethyldodecylammonium chloride or 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl-dimethyloctadecylammonium chloride.

5. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 in which at least one quaternary ammonium monomer (A) is diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride.

6. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 , where the reactive amine group monomers (B) are selected from diallylamine, N-methyl diallylamine and N-ethyl diallylamine.

7. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 , where the base polymer is prepared by copolymerization of at least one monomer (C) which is selected from acrylamide, methacrylamide, N,N-dimethyl acrylamide N,N-diethyl acrylamide, N,N-dimethyl aminopropyl acrylamide or salts of these monomers; acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinyl sulfonic acid or salts of these monomers; N,N-dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate, N,N-dimethyl aminoethyl acrylate, diethylaminoethyl acrylate, 7-amino-3,7-dimethyloctyl acrylate or salts of these monomers; vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl amines, vinyl formamide, vinyl alcohol, vinyl caprolactam, vinyl derivatives of dimethyl siloxane, aminosiloxanes, vinyl fluorocarbons, hydroxyalkyl acrylates and sulfur dioxide.

8. A functional group containing polymer according to claim 1 having an average molecular weight in the range of one thousand to 5 million Daltons.

9. A personal care or cosmetic composition, comprising

A) a functional group containing cationic copolymer according to claim 1 ,

B) at least one cosmetically-functional agent and

C) at least one cosmetically tolerable adjuvant.

10. A personal care or cosmetic composition according to claim 9 , wherein the functional group containing cationic polymer is of formula

where R 3 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or Fg.

11. A personal care composition according to claim 9 , which is a hair conditioning product and wherein the cosmetically-functional agent is an effective amount of one or more surfactants.

12. A hair conditioning product according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one cosmetically tolerable adjuvant selected from softeners, perfumes, colorants, preservatives, antimicrobials, optical brighteners, ultraviolet light absorbers, other light management agents and mixtures thereof.