Design of dyes of high technical properties for silk by a chemometric approach

A range of amines and coupling components were explored with the aim of identifying the best structures in a series of acid azo dyes for silk. The technique of the Experimental Design in Principal Properties was used for the selection of a small number of dyes to be synthesized and tested. Fastness data have been modelled as a function of the structure by the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. The models established allowed the prediction of the fastness of new dyes of the series. Three violet dyes, one in the training set and two in the prediction set, with outstanding fastness performance were identified.