Surface cleaner

• US 20030171446A1
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Reckitt Benckiser Pty Limited (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Reckitt Benckiser Pty Limited (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Inventors: Potter, Robert J, Ogrodnik, Virginie, Murrer, Barry Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/168,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20030171446A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 522/16
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0063 Photo- activating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1213 Oxides or hydroxides, e.g. Al2O3, TiO2, CaO or Ca(OH)2
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/40 Dyes ; Pigments

Abstract

The present invention relates to photocatalytic compositions effective to degrade soils deposited on a surface, to reduce the accumulation of soils on a surface, and to act as an antimicrobial agent. The invention also describes methods employing said compositions, and uses thereof.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a photocatalyst, and a metal complex sensitiser comprising a ligand with a conjugated π

system, which absorbs light substantially in the visible and/or the infrared region of the spectrum, effective to deposit a functional residue of said composition on a surface.

2. A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the atom within said metal complex sensitiser is any one or more of the following:

ruthenium, platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium, osmium, rhenium, iron, copper, titanium and zinc.

3. A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the metal complex sensitiser includes any one or more of the following:

heterocyclic complexes which contain polypyridine, macrocyclic or phthalocyanine ligands and optionally other ligand types wherein at least one of the nitrogen groups is displaced by other donor groups

4. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sensitising agent includes any one or more of the following:

ruthenium II, III or IV or mixed oxidation state chelating complexes containing nitrogen donor atoms.

5. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the sensitising agent includes any one or more of the following:

a ruthenium(II), (III), (IV) or a mixed oxidation state polypyridine complex.

6. A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said sensitising agent includes any one or more of the following groups:

terpyridyl, bipyridyl groups, phthalocyanines, phorphyrins, tetra-aza-annulenes, pyrazines, phenanthrolines and derivatives thereof and compounds with substantially similar nitrogen based ring systems.

7. A composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein said sensitising agent further includes any one or more of R₄N+ or R₄P+ groups wherein each R group may be the same or different and is any one or more of the following groups:

hydrogen, halogen, amine, alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, heterocyclic groups, or derivatives thereof, including acid and ester derivatives, any of which may be branched or unbranched, substituted or unsubstituted,.

8. A composition as claimed either of claim 6 and claim 7 wherein the sensitising agent includes a terpyridyl group of general formula I shown below:

9. A composition as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the sensitising agent includes a bipyridyl group of the general formula (III) shown below:

10. A composition as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the sensitising agent includes a phthalocyanine group of molecules and derivatives thereof having the general formula (IV) shown below:

11. A composition as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the sensitising agent includes a tetra-aza-annulene group and derivatives thereof and is described by the general formula shown (V) below:

12. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim which is a liquid.

13. A composition any claimed in claim 12, wherein the light absorbing agent comprises no more than 50% w/v of said composition.

14. A composition as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensitising agent comprises no more than 1% w/v of said composition.

15. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 which has a pH less than 7.

16. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 which has a pH of 7 or more.

17. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 further comprising a doping agent.

18. A composition as claimed in claim 17 wherein the doping agent is any one or more of the following:

platinum, palladium, cobalt, tungsten, chromium, silver, copper, nickel or iron, and/or compounds and complexes thereof.

19. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a wetting agent which is any one or more of the following:

Igepal®

CA-520 [polyoxyethylene(5) isooctylphenyl ether], Igepal®

CA-630 [(octylphenoxy)polyethoxyethanol], Igepal®

CA-730 [polyoxyethylene(12) isooctylphenyl ether].

22. A sensitising agent as claimed in claim 20 or 21 having one or more of the features of claims 8 to 11.

20. A sensitising agent which includes any one or more of the following groups:

terpyridyl, bipyridyl groups, phthalocyanines, phorphyrins, tetra-aza-annulenes, pyrazines, phenothralines and derivitives thereof and compounds with substantially similar nitrogen based ring systems.

21. A sensitising agent as claimed in claim 20 which further includes any one or more of R₄N+ or R₄P+ groups wherein each R group may be the same or different and is any one or more of the following groups:

hydrogen, halogen, amine, alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, heterocyclic groups, or derivatives thereof, including acid and ester derivatives, any of which may be branched or unbranched, substituted or unsubstituted,

23. The use of a sensitising agent according to the present invention for the sensitisation of a light absorbing agent on a surface such that soils present on the surface are substantially broken down and/or the rate of accumulation of such soils on a surface is significantly diminished.