UV protective heterocyclic disperse azo dyes: Spectral properties, dyeing, potent antibacterial activity on dyed fabric and comparative computational study.

Disperse azo dyes are synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, LC-MS, Elemental analysis, UV-visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy methods. The azo dyes show absorption maxima in the range of 460-493 nm. Dye with benzothiazole moiety i.e. VM7a and VM8a show a bathochromic shift in absorption maxima of 90 and 26 nm respectively in a polar aprotic solvent (i.e. DMF, DMSO). The dyes show deep red emission in a polar aprotic solvent (i.e. DMF, DMSO) with a Stokes shift of 62 to 180 nm. The dyes are applied on polyester fabric and the dyed fabric exhibit excellent to a good wash and sublimation fastness property. They show a very good UPF rating and almost blocking 95 to 98% of harmful UV radiation. Antibacterial activity of dyed polyester fabric is assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by using AATCC 147 and 100 test method respectively. The dyed fabrics exhibit excellent antibacterial activities against S.aureus (Gram-positive) and K. pneumoniae (Gram-negative). DFT method was used to identify the stable conformer. HOMO-LUMO gap and global reactivity descriptors were calculated using DFT method and correlated with antibacterial activities and light fastness properties respectively.