Sustainable Dyeing of Viscose with Novel Carbene Dyes in Ethanol–Water Media: Synthesis, Application, and Mechanistic Insights
摘要
Conventional reactive dyeing of viscose fibers typically involves significant consumption of inorganic salts and alkalis, posing environmental challenges. Herein, a salt-free, alkali-free, and auxiliary-free dyeing approach for viscose is presented, enabled by three novel carbene dyes (D1–D3) derived from a brominated diazirine precursor. Dyeing was conducted in an ethanol/water (6:4, v/v) medium at 85 °C for 60 min, followed by thermal fixation at 140 °C for 60 min, achieving high color strength (K/S) and excellent fixation efficiency. Multiscale characterization combining dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and FTIR revealed that dye aggregates in the mixed solvent facilitate monomer release and inward diffusion into swollen fibers. Upon heating, carbenes are generated in situ and form covalent C–O bonds with cellulose hydroxyl groups. The dyed fabrics exhibited outstanding color fastness (grade 4–5), retained their original fiber morphology and thermal stability, and showed enhanced water-repellent properties attributable to the hydrophobic fluorinated moieties grafted onto the fiber surface.