Patent ID: 7053227

Claim:
A process which comprises (a) preparing a first reaction mixture by admixing (1) leucoquinizarin and, optionally, quinizarin, (2) an aminobenzene substituted with an alcohol group of the formula —R 1 —OH, wherein R 1 is an alkylene group or an arylalkylene group, (3) boric acid, and (4) an optional solvent, and heating the first reaction mixture to prepare an alcohol-substituted colorant of the formula (b) preparing a second reaction mixture by admixing (1) the alcohol-substituted colorant, (2) a solvent, and (3) a first esterification compound which is either (i) an anhydride of the formula wherein R 2 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, or (ii) an acid of the formula R 2 COOH optional in the presence of an esterification catalyst, and heating the second reaction mixture to form a first ester-substituted colorant of the formula (c) forming a third reaction mixture by admixing (1) the first ester-substituted colorant, (2) bromine, and (3) a solvent followed by quenching the third reaction mixture with water to form a brominated ester-substituted colorant and a salt thereof, of the formulae wherein Y is a hydrogen atom or a bromine atom and n is an integer of 1, 2, 3, or 4; (d) preparing a fourth reaction mixture by admixing (1) the brominated ester-substituted colorant and the salt thereof, (2) a base, (3) water, and (4) a solvent and heating the fourth reaction mixture to form a brominated alcohol-substituted colorant of the formula and (e) preparing a fifth reaction mixture by admixing (1) the brominated alcohol-substituted colorant, (2) a second esterification compound which is either (i) an anhydride of the formula wherein R 2 ′ is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, and wherein R 2 ′ is different from R 2 , or (ii) an acid of the formula R 2 ′COOH optional in the presence of an esterification catalyst, and (3) a solvent and heating the fifth reaction mixture to form a second ester-substituted colorant of the formula