Stable electrophoretic particles for displays

• US 5,914,806 A
• Filed: 02/11/1998
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Joseph Grover II, Hart, Mark Whitney, Swanson, Sally Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/021,768
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 359/321, 106/493, 106/499, 106/502, 106/504, 428/402, 428/403, 428/405, 345/107, 252/570
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 68/41 Polymers attached to the pigment surface C09B68/444, C09B68/446 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 68/443 Carboxylic acid derivatives, e.g. carboxylic acid amides, carboxylic acid esters or CN groups
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 68/446 Amines or polyamines, e.g. aminopropyl, 1,3,4,-triamino-pentyl or polyethylene imine
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/172 based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Stabilized pigment particles for use in electrophoretic display. Stabilization of the pigment particles is effected by covalently bonding the pigment to a polymeric stabilizer.

Claims

1. A composition useful in electrophoretic display devices comprising a pigment particle covalently bonded to a polymeric stabilizer.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the covalent bond is through an amide, ester, ether, amine, organosilane, silyl ether or carbamate linkage.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the polymeric stabilizer is monofunctionalized polystyrene, polylauryl methacrylate, poly(1,2-hydroxystearic acid), polydimethylsiloxane, polyisobutylene, cis-1,4-polyisoprene, polyvinyl acetate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl methyl ether, poly(4-methylstyrene), polyethylene, polybutadiene, terpene resins, petroleum hydrocarbon resin, or a halogenated analogue of any of these compounds.

4. The composition of claim 2 wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of:

C.I. Pigment Black 1, Acid Black 48, Acid Blue 25, Acid Blue 29, Acid Blue 40, Acid Blue 41, Acid Blue 129, Acid Red 37, Acridine Yellow G, Acid Yellow 9, Azure A, Azure C, Basic Blue 47, Basic Violet 14, Direct Red 2, Bismark Brown R, Bismark Brown Y, Brilliant Cresyl Blue ALD, Brilliant Sulphaflavine, Direct Blue 1, Basic Orange 2, Direct Red 28, Cresyl Violet acetate, Direct Yellow 62, Disperse Blue 1, Disperse Orange 11, Disperse Yellow 9, Fast Blue BB, Fast Garnet GBC base, Fast Violet B, Solvent Brown 1, Mordant Brown 33, Mordant Brown 48, Mordant Yellow 12, Basic Violet 2, Nuclear Fast Red, Pararosaniline base, Pararosaniline acetate, Phenosafranin, Reactive Blue 2, Reactive Blue 4, Reactive Blue 15, remazol Brilliant Blue R, Rhodamine 123 hydrate, Safranine O, Toluidine Blue O, or Uniblue A.

5. The composition of claim 2 where the pigment has at least one hydroxy group, and is selected from the group consisting of:

Acid Alizarin Violet N, Acid Blue 29, Acid Blue 161, Acid Orange 8, Acid Red 8, Acid Red 37, Acid Red 88, Acid Red 97, Acid Red 151, Acid Yellow 34, Acid Yellow 40, Acid Yellow 42, Acid Yellow 76, Acid Yellow 99, Alizarin Blue Black B, Alizarine Red S, Alizarine Yellow GG, Biebrich Scarlet, Brilliant Crocein MOO, Brilliant Yellow, Bromochlorophenol Blue, Bromocresol Green, Bromoscresol Purple, Bromophenol Blue Promopyrogallol Red, Bromothylmol Blue, Bromoxylenol Blue, Calcion, Carmine, Carminic acid, Celestine Blue, Chicago Sky Blue 6B, Chlorophenol Red, Chrome Azurol S, Chromotrope 2B, Chromotrope FB, m-Cresol Purple, Cresol Red, Crocein Orange G, Direct Blue 71, Direct Red 23, Direct Red 75, Direct Red 81, Direct Violet 51, Disperse Red 1, Disperse Red 13, Disperse Yellow 7, Eriochrome Black T, Eriochrome Blue Black B, Erythrosin B, Ethyl Eosin, Fast Black K salt, Evans Blue, Fast Green FCF, Flavazin LII, Solvent Yellow 94, Natural Black 1, Hoechst 33258, Coumarin 4, Hydroxy Naphthol Blue, Natural Orange 6, Iodine Blue, Solvent Green 1, Methyl Calcein Blue, Methyl Eosin, Methylthymol Blue, Mordant Brown 1, Mordant Brown 4, Mordant Brown 6, Mordant Brown 24, Mordant Brown 33, Mordant Brown 48, Mordant Orange 1, Mordant Orange 6, Mordant Orange 10, Mordant Red 19, Mordant Yellow 10, Mordant Yellow 12, Naphthochrome Green, Naphthol AS, Naphthol AS BI, Naphthol Blue Black, Acid Red 18, Nitrazine Yellow, Nitrosulfonazol III, Nuclear Fast Red, Oil Red EGN, Oil Red O, Orange G. Palatine Chrome Black 6BN, Palatine Fast Black WAN, Palatine Fast Yellow BLN, Phenol Red, Acid Red 92, Eriochrome Blue SE, Acid Red 150, Purpurin, Pyrocatechol Violet, Pyrogallol Red, Resolic Acid, Sudan II, Sudan III, and Sudan IV, Tartrazine, Thymol Blue, Xylenol Blue, Xylenol Orange, Acid Red 26, or Xylidyl Blue 1.

6. The composition of claim 2 wherein the pigment has at least one carboxylic acid group or derivative, and is selected from the group consisting of:

Alizarin Yellow GG, Lucifer Yellow anhydride, Calcein Blue, Carmine, Carminic acid, Celestine Blue, Chrome Azurol S, Chromoxane Cyanine R, Coumarin 343, Solvent Red 72, Disperse Orange 25, Eosin B, Eosin Y, Erythrosin B, Ethyl Red, Solvent Yellow 94, Fluorescent Brightener 28, Methyl Calcein Blue, Methylthymol Blue, Methyl Red, Mordant Orange 1, Mordant Orange 6, Mordant Orange 10, Mordant Yellow 10, Mordant Yellow 12, Naphthochrome Green, Palatine Fast Yellow BLN, Pararosaniline acetate, Rhodamine B, Rose Bengal, or Xylenol Orange.

7. An electrophoretic display comprising a plurality of cells containing pigment particles covalently bonded to polymeric stabilizers and suspended in a light-transmissive fluid, each cell comprising a light-transmissive front window, a collecting and counter electrode and a rear panel.

8. A display as claimed in claim 7 including a non-obstructing collecting electrode and a rear panel having a reflective surface.

9. A display as claimed in claim 7 including a non-obstructing collecting electrode and a rear panel which is light absorbing.

10. A display as claimed in claim 7 wherein the rear panel is light transmissive.