The Synthesis and Characterisation of Thiol-Bearing C. I. Disperse Red 1

C. I. Disperse Red 1 (DR1) was chemically modified by a facile, one-step, Steglich esterification to yield the thiol-bearing analogue. The dye produced possesses the appropriate functionality to be readily incorporated into appropriate materials by highly effective thiol-ene ‘click’ chemistry reactions. This method of dye modification greatly widens the application range of hydroxyl-bearing reactive dyes for various materials, enabling the facile production of coloured materials by using the thiol groups added.