IP Library Granted Patent US 10,048,562
Granted Patent B2
US 10,048,562 · App. 14/408,031 · Granted Aug 14, 2018

Electrophoretic fluid

Inventor: Nathan Smith (Southampton, GB)
Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
G02F1/167G02F2001/1678
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,048,562
App. No.
14/408,031
Granted
Aug 14, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention relates to electrophoretic fluid comprising solvents, a highly absorbing dye, and charged particles of different color, and electrophoretic display devices comprising such fluids.

Claims (33)

1. An electrophoretic fluid comprising at least one solvent, at least two kinds of particles having different colour and opposite electrical charge, and at least one highly absorbing dye, wherein the dye or a dye mixture has an absorbance of at least 0.3 a.u. in a cell thickness of 50 microns, and wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprise at least one dye according to Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, Formula IV Formula V or Formula VI

wherein

X and X′ are independently of one another H or an electron-withdrawing group;

R 1 and R 2 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

R 3 and R 4 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

R5 is a methyl or methoxy group;

and the dye comprises at least one electron-withdrawing group;

wherein

R 6 and R 7 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

wherein

X″ is an electron-withdrawing group;

R 8 is a methyl or methoxy group;

R 9 and R 10 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

wherein

R 12 and R 13 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

R 11 is an alkyl or alkoxy group with at least 3 carbon atoms;

wherein

R 14 and R 15 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C8-C20 alkyl group where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

wherein

X″′ is an electron-withdrawing group;

R 16 and R 17 are independently of one another groups are linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups where one or more non-adjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by O, S and/or N;

R 18 is NHCOR with R=linear or branched C1-C10 alkyl groups.

2. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises at least two dyes wherein each dye comprises at least one chromophoric group and at least one solubilizing group and wherein at least two dyes comprise different solubilizing groups.

3. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the dyes comprise different hydrocarbon groups selected from straight chain or branched hydrocarbon groups with at least 4 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with O, S, N or F atoms.

4. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises at least two dyes with homologue solubilizing groups.

5. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises at least two dyes with the same chromophoric is group.

6. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises at least two dyes with different chromophoric is groups.

7. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises at least one non-polar solvent having a dielectric constant <10, volume resistivity about 10 15 ohm-cm, viscosity <5 cst, and a boiling point >80° C.

8. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises black particles selected from carbon black, surface coated carbon black, carbon black based particles, and black polymer particles.

9. The electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid comprises white particles selected from titanium dioxide in the rutil, anatase, or amorphous modification, surface coated titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide based particles, and white polymer particles.

10. A method for the preparation of a mono, bi or polychromal electrophoretic device comprising utilizing the electrophoretic fluids according to claim 1 .

11. An electrophoretic display device comprising an electrophoretic fluid according to claim 1 .

12. The electrophoretic display device according to claim 11 , wherein the electrophoretic fluid is applied by a technique selected from inkjet printing, slot die spraying, nozzle spraying, and flexographic printing, or any other contact or contactless printing or deposition technique.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2021
From: MERCK PATENT GMBH
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057622/0432 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2018
From: SMITH, NATHAN
To: MERCK PATENT GMBH
Reel/Frame 046165/0184 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 12004715 · Jun 22, 2012 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150177587A1 · Jun 25, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,606,713