Synthesis of an amino coumarin‐based fluorescent reactive dye and its application to wool fibres

The objective of the current study was to introduce the coumarin structure into a conventional reactive dye system. A fluorescent reactive dye was synthesised based upon 7‐amino‐4‐methylcoumarin. The dye was obtained by a multi‐step sequence initiated by displacement of a chlorine group from 2,4,6‐trichloro‐1,3,5‐triazine using H‐acid. Diazo coupling of 3‐aminobenzenesulphato‐ethylsulphone to this adduct, followed by a second chlorine displacement using aminomethylcoumarin completed the sequence. The fluorescent dye and the non‐fluorescent precursor were characterised by mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis. The newly synthesised dye was applied to wool fibres using an exhaust dyeing method. The exhaustion, fixation and total efficiency values were calculated by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometric analysis of the dyebath. The synthesised red dye presented high values for exhaustion, fixation and total efficiency on the wool fibres. The novel dye, after its application to the wool fibres, exhibited fluorescence under an ultraviolet light. This feature confirmed that the novel dye retained the inherent characteristic feature of fluorescence on the wool fibres. The dyed wool fibres exhibited level 4–5 of light fastness when compared with international wool light fastness standards.