PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE CHOLESTEROL LIPOSOMES AS VEHICLES FOR ANTHRAQUINONE DISPERSE DYES IN WOOL DYEING

The use of liposomes containing increasing amounts of cholesterol as c arriers for anthraquinone disperse dyes in the dyeing of wool fibres i s described. Multilamellar lipid vesicles of egg phosphatidylcholine a nd containing Cl Disperse Violet 1 at different phosphatidylcholine-ch olesterol relative concentrations were used. Controlled exhaustion of dye on the wool was achieved, which was directly dependent on the lipo some lipid concentration. Increasing the amount of cholesterol in the bilayers resulted in a decrease in dyebath exhaustion while improving the total amount of dye bonded to the wool fibres. The dye's dispersio n efficiency was also improved, compared with the use of conventional dispersing agents. The optimum application of these systems, both in t erms of dyebath exhaustion and total amount of dye bonded to the wool samples, was directly correlated with the dye/lipid weight ratio for t he maximum level of dye encapsulation efficiency.