Physico-Chemical Principles of Color Chemistry

At the beginning of this series of volumes on Color Chemistry, the editors pointed to a number of events that have served as stimuli for techno­ logical advances in the field, thus preventing dyestuff manufacturing from becoming what might otherwise be viewed by now as a 'sunset industry'. The volumes which followed have provided ample evidence for our belief that the field of colour chemistry is very much alive, though arguably in need of further stimulus. For instance, a viable approach to the design of new chromophores and to the design of metal-free acid, direct, and reactive dyes having fastness properties comparable to their metallized counterparts represent the kind of breakthroughs that would help ensure the continued success of this important field. While it must be acknowledged that serendipity 'smiled' on our discipline at its inception and has repeated the favor from time to time since then, few would argue against the proposition that most of the significant advances in the technology associated with any scientific discipline result from research designed to enhance our understanding of the fundamental causes for experimental observations, many of which are pursued because they are unexpected, intriguing and intellectually stimulating. Little reflection is required for one who knows the history of the dyestuff industry to realize that this is certainly true in the colour chemistry arena, as it was basic research that led to fiber-reactive dyes, dyes for high technology, and modern synthetic organic pigments.