Patent ID: 7033424

Claim:
A phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound of the formula wherein M is either (1) a metal ion having a positive charge of +y wherein y is an integer which is at least 2, said metal ion being capable of forming a compound with at least two chromogen moieties, or (2) a metal-containing moiety capable of forming a compound with at least two chromogen moieties, z is an integer representing the number of chromogen moieties associated with the metal and is at least 2, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 each, independently of the others, is (i) a hydrogen atom, (ii) an alkyl group, (iii) an aryl group, (iv) an arylalkyl group, or (v) an alkylaryl group, wherein R 1 and R 2 can be joined together to form a ring, wherein R 3 and R 4 can be joined together to form a ring, and wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 can each be joined to a phenyl ring in the central structure, a and b each, independently of the others, is an integer which is 0, 1, 2, or 3, c is an integer which is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, each R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 , independently of the others, is (i) an alkyl group, (ii) an aryl group, (iii) an arylalkyl group, (iv) an alkylaryl group, (v) a halogen atom, (vi) an ester group, (vii) an amide group, (viii) a sulfone group, (ix) an amine group or ammonium group, (x) a nitrile group, (xi) a nitro group, (xii) a hydroxy group, (xiii) a cyano group, (xiv) a pyridine or pyridinium group, (xv) an ether group, (xvi) an aldehyde group, (xvii) a ketone group, (xviii) a carbonyl group, (xix) a thiocarbonyl group, (xx) a sulfate group, (xxi) a sulfide group, (xxii) a sulfoxide group, (xxiii) a phosphine or phosphonium group, (xxiv) a phosphate group, (xxv) a mercapto group, (xxvi) a nitroso group, (xxvii) an acyl group, (xxviii) an acid anhydride group, (xxix) an azide group, (xxx) an azo group, (xxxi) a cyanato group, (xxxii) an isocyanato group, (xxxiii) a thiocyanato group, (xxxiv) an isothiocyanato group, (xxxv) a urethane group, or (xxxvi) a urea group, wherein R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 can each be joined to a phenyl ring in the central structure, R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 each, independently of the others, is (i) a hydrogen atom, (ii) an alkyl group, (iii) an aryl group, (iv) an arylalkyl group, or (v) an alkylaryl group, provided that the number of carbon atoms in R 1 +R 2 +R 3 +R 4 +R 5 +R 6 +R 7 +R 8 +R 9 +R 10 is at least about 16, Q— is a COO— group or a SO 3 — group, d is an integer which is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, A is an organic anion, and CA is either a hydrogen atom or a cation associated with all but one of the Q— groups.