2. Dyes and Pigments: Their Structure and Properties

Dyes and pigments are the most important colorants used to add a color or to change the color of something. They are widely used in the textile, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, plastics, paint, ink, photographic and paper industries. Dyes are colored substances which are soluble or go into solution during the application process and impart color by selective absorption of light. Pigments are colored, colorless, or fluorescent particulate organic or inorganic finely divided solids which are usually insoluble in, and essentially chemically unaffected by, the vehicle or medium in which they are incorporated. On the other hand, the color, which is highly dependent on the chemical and physical properties of a matter, is a result of the interaction between light and substance. This chapter is focused on the chemical and structural properties of dyes and pigments, as well as the relationship between light and color.