Substituted catechol polymeric dispersants

1. A polymeric dispersant comprising at least one monomer according to structure (D.I):

wherein

R 1 and R 5 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group,

R 2 and R 6 are independently a bivalent polyether group,

R 3 and R 7 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group, and

R 4 and R 8 are independently a moiety having a site of ethylenic unsaturation;

wherein R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the following structures D.Ia, D.Ib, D.Ic, D.Id:

or a C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group; and

wherein the polymeric dispersant has a weight average molecular weight of between 2,000 g/mole to 25,000 g/mole.

2. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the weight average molecular weight is between 2,000 g/mole to 15,000 g/mole.

3. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 3 -C 14 branched or linear alkyl group.

4. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 9 -C 30 branched or linear alkenyl group.

5. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 6 -C 14 branched or linear alkyl group.

6. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 9 -C 14 branched or linear alkenyl group.

7. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 8 -C 12 branched or linear alkyl group.

8. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 23 -C 30 branched or linear alkenyl group.

9. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 4 -C 12 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group.

10. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein the polymeric dispersant is characterized as an oligomer.

11. A polymeric dispersant copolymer, comprising, based on total weight of monomers:

A. 0-60 weight percent of the at least one C 3 -C 8 alpha beta-ethylenically unsaturated acidic monomer;

B. 15-70 weight percent of the at least one non-ionic, copolymerizable C 2 -C 12 alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated monomer; and

C. 0.01-30 weight percent of the at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrophobic monomer according to structure (D.I):

wherein

R 1 and R 5 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group,

R 2 and R 6 are independently a bivalent polyether group,

R 3 and R 7 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group, and

R 4 and R 8 are independently a moiety having a site of ethylenic unsaturation;

wherein R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the following structures D.Ia, D.Ib, D.Ic, D.Id:

or a C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group,

wherein the polymeric dispersant copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of between 2,000 g/mole to 25,000 g/mole.

12. The polymeric dispersant copolymer of claim 11 wherein the weight average molecular weight is between 2,000 g/mole to 15,000 g/mole.

13. The polymeric dispersant copolymer of claim 11 wherein the carboxylic acid monomer (A) is present from 15 weight percent to 60 weight percent based on total monomer weight.

14. The polymeric dispersant copolymer of claim 11 wherein the carboxylic acid monomer (A) is selected from a group consisting of methacrylic acid, acrylic acid and a combination thereof.

15. The polymeric dispersant copolymer of claim 11 wherein the nonionic monomer (B) is alkyl acrylate.

16. A method for dispersing pigments in an aqueous emulsion, comprising: contacting

(i) an aqueous emulsion containing at least one pigment with

(ii) a polymeric dispersant copolymer, comprising, based on total weight of monomers:

A. 0-60 weight percent of the at least one C 3 -C 8 alpha beta-ethylenically unsaturated acidic monomer;

B. 15-70 weight percent of the at least one non-ionic, copolymerizable C 2 -C 12 alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated monomer; and

C. 0.01-30 weight percent of the at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrophobic monomer according to structure (D.I):

wherein

R 1 and R 5 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group,

R 2 and R 6 are independently a bivalent polyether group,

R 3 and R 7 are independently absent or a bivalent linking group, and

R 4 and R 8 are independently a moiety having a site of ethylenic unsaturation;

wherein R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the following structures D.Ia, D.Ib, D.Ic, D.Id:

or a C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group,

wherein the polymeric dispersant copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of between 2,000 g/mole to 25,000 g/mole.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the pigment is carbon black.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polymeric dispersant copolymer is between 2,000 g/mole to 15,000 g/mole.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 3 -C 14 branched or linear alkyl group.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 9 -C 30 branched or linear alkenyl group.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 6 -C 14 branched or linear alkyl group.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one C 3 -C 8 alpha beta-ethylenically unsaturated acidic monomer comprises a C 3 -C 8 alpha beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer.

23. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group, and wherein the C 2 -C 30 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group is a C 4 -C 12 branched or linear alkyl group or alkenyl group.

24. The polymeric dispersant of claim 1 wherein R 1 , R 3 , R 5 , R 7 are each independently —(CH 2 ) x O—, wherein x is an integer from 1 to 20.