Unilever Home and Personal Care Usa, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Rene Marcel LaCrois

Ronald Hage

Jean Hypolites Koek

Robin Stefan Twisker

Bernard Lucas Feringa

Riccardo Filippo Carina

Michael Renz

Johannes Gerhardus Roelfes

Catherine Hemmert

Rob Thijssen

Ebe Pieter Schudde

Charon Zondervan

Bernard Meunier

The invention relates to catalytically bleaching substrates, especially laundry fabrics, with atmospheric oxygen or air. A method of bleaching a substrate is provided that comprises applying to the substrate, in an aqueous medium, a specified ligand from a selected class which forms a complex with a transition metal, the complex catalysing bleaching of the substrate by atmospheric oxygen. Also provided is an aqueous bleaching composition substantially devoid of peroxygen bleach or a peroxy-based or -generating bleach system. Also provided is a method of treating a textile such as a laundry fabric whereby a complex catalyses bleaching of the textile by atmospheric oxygen after the treatment. The catalyst may be used in dry form, or in a liquor that is then dried, such as an aqueous spray-on fabric treatment fluid or a wash liquor for laundry cleaning, or a non-aqueous dry cleaning fluid or spray-on aerosol fluid. The method can confer cleaning benefits to the textile after the treatment. Also provided is a dry textile having a catalyst applied or deposited thereon, whereby bleaching by atmospheric oxygen is catalysed on the textile.

Composition and method for bleaching a substrate

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Groningen, Netherlands

Rene Marcel LaCrois