Method of coloring hair with washfast blue imidazolium direct dye compounds

1. A method of dyeing the hair, the method comprising:

a. applying to the hair a hair color composition comprising one or more direct dye compounds, the one or more direct dye compounds each comprising:

i. a blue-violet or blue chromophore;

ii. one or two permanent cations, wherein the permanent cations are pendant to the chromophore or part of the chromophore, and wherein the chromophore and the permanent cations form a core structure; and

iii. one to four incipient cations, wherein each of the one to four incipient cations is pendant via a linker group to the core structure, and wherein the incipient cations are neutral,

iv. one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties, wherein the one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties are pendant to the core structure;

wherein the one or more direct dye compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair color composition is applied to the hair; and

wherein the hair color composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 11;

b. rinsing the hair with water;

wherein the pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3.5 to about 6; and

wherein the rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft,

wherein the chromophore has a structure according to Formula (X), or a tautomer or salt thereof,

wherein

(i) R 1g , R 1h , R 1j , R 1k , R 1m , R 1n , R 1p and R 1r are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, cyano, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with or without a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with or without a linker group, vinylsulfone with or without a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with or without a linker group, halo-s-triazines with or without a linker group, halopyrimidines with or without a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with or without a linker group;

(ii) R 1b , R 1c , R 1e and R 1t are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;

(iii) R 1f and R 1s are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, acyl, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;

(iv) R 1a and R 1d are each independently alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group; and

(v) X and Y are each independently an oxygen or a nitrogen atom; wherein in the case where X and/or Y is oxygen atom, the corresponding group attached to the oxygen atom, R 1f and/or R 1s , ceases to exist.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of X and Y is an oxygen atom.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hair color composition further comprises from about 0.1% to about 20%, by weight of the composition, of at least one oxidizing agent.

4. A method of dyeing the hair, the method comprising:

a. applying to the hair a hair color composition comprising one or more direct dye compounds, the one or more direct dye compounds each comprising:

i. a blue-violet or blue chromophore;

ii. one or two permanent cations, wherein the permanent cations are pendant to the chromophore or part of the chromophore, and wherein the chromophore and the permanent cations form a core structure; and

iii. one to four incipient cations, wherein each of the one to four incipient cations is pendant via a linker group to the core structure, and wherein the incipient cations are neutral;

iv. one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties, wherein the one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties are pendant to the core structure;

wherein the one or more direct dye compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair color composition is applied to the hair; and

wherein the hair color composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 11;

b. rinsing the hair with water;

wherein the pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3 to about 6; and

wherein the rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft,

wherein the chromophore has a structure according to Formula (XI), or a tautomer or salt thereof,

wherein

(i) R 2h , R 2j , R 2k and R 2m are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, cyano, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with or without a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with or without a linker group, vinylsulfone with or without a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with or without a linker group, halo-s-triazines with or without a linker group, halopyrimidines with or without a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with or without a linker group;

(ii) R 2b , R 2c , R 2e , R 2f and R 2p are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group; alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group;

(iii) R 2g and R 2h , are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, acyl, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl; acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;

(iv) R 2a and R 2d are each independently alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinyl sulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group; and

(v) X, Y and Z are each independently a carbon or a nitrogen atom; wherein the total number of nitrogen atoms among X, Y and Z equals to 0 or 1; the total number of carbon atoms among X, Y and Z equals to 2 or 3; and, in the case where one of X, Y, Z is a nitrogen atom, the corresponding group attached to the nitrogen atom, one of R 2e , R 2f , or R 2p , ceases to exist.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein R 2a and R 2d are each independently alkyl, aminoalkyl or alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein R 2a and R 2d are both alkyl groups.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hair color composition further comprises from about 0.1% to about 20%, by weight of the composition, of at least one oxidizing agent.

8. A method of dyeing the hair, the method comprising:

a. applying to the hair a hair color composition comprising one or more direct dye compounds, the one or more direct dye compounds each comprising:

i. a blue-violet or blue chromophore;

ii. one or two permanent cations, wherein the permanent cations are pendant to the chromophore or part of the chromophore, and wherein the chromophore and the permanent cations form a core structure; and

iii. one to four incipient cations, wherein each of the one to four incipient cations is pendant via a linker group to the core structure, and wherein the incipient cations are neutral;

iv. one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties, wherein the one or more C2-C9 hydrophobic moieties are pendant to the core structure;

wherein the one or more direct dye compounds enter the hair shaft after the hair color composition is applied to the hair; and

wherein the hair color composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 11;

b. rinsing the hair with water;

wherein the pH of the hair after rinsing is from about 3.5 to about 6; and

wherein the rinsing of the hair causes one or more of the one to four incipient cations to change from neutral to positively charged inside of the hair shaft,

wherein the chromophore has a structure according to Formula (XII), or a tautomer or salt thereof,

wherein

R 3j , R 3k , R 3m , R 3n , R 3p , R 3r , R 3s , and R 3t are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, carboxyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, cyano, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with or without a linker group, vinylsulfone with or without a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with or without a linker group, halo-s-triazines with or without a linker group, halopyrimidines with or without a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with or without a linker group;

(ii) R 3b , R 3c , R 3e , R 3f , R 3g , and R 3h are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, halogen, a heterocyclic moiety, thioether, thiol with a linker group, alkylsulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, halopyrimidines with a linker group, or haloquinoxalines with a linker group;

(iii) R 3a and R 3d are each independently, halogen substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation, thiol with a linker group, alkyl sulfonate, alkylsulfate, carboxylalkyl, acrylamide or substituted acrylamides with a linker group, vinylsulfone with a linker group, sulfonyl ethyl sulfate with a linker group, halo-s-triazines with a linker group, or halopyrimidines with a linker group, haloquinoxalines with a linker group.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 2a and R 2d are each independently, aminoalkyl or alkyl group carrying a quaternary ammonium cation.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hair color composition further comprises from about 0.1% to about 20%, by weight of the composition, of at least one oxidizing agent.