Dye-surfactant interations and their applications.

In the 1970s progress in the development of textile dyes appeared to come to a relative standstill. All fibers were readily dyed in a wide chromatic range and with excellent performances. Furthermore, caution pervaded the production and the indiscriminate use of dyes because of their possible toxicity, particularly induced by precursors such as aromatic amines. At the beginning of the 199Os, we witness a lively change in the situation. Humans definitely prefer a colored world, as evidenced by a world consumption of dyes in 1988 of 600 kilotons. Production strategies must be adapted to environmental requirements, including the use of renewable raw materials. The recent development of “materials science” presumably will bring out novel substrates which, in turn, will demand novel dyes and auxiliaries. For nonconventional, high-technology, specialized applications of dyes, the demand has increased dramatically in recent years, and the dye-surfactant combination represents one of the most vital areas of technical research and development. It is interesting to note that until recent years the studies of analytical chemists, physical chemists, physicists, biologists, pharmacologists, etc. depended on structures available commercially or by occasional contacts. More recently, the use of tailor-made dyes and surfactants has been spreading, and consequently, dialogue with synthetic chemists has become closer. This symbiotic and interdisciplinary trend of research offers the best opportunities for the future.