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

Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Unilever Home & Personal Care Usa, a Division of Conopco, Inc.

Robin Stefan Twisker

Ronald Hage

Ton Swarthoff

Daniel Convents

Greta Johanna Breel

Jiri Hora

Willem Van Liemt

Jean Hypolites Koek

David Tetard

Bernard Lucas Feringa

Lawrence Que, Jr

Riccardo Filippo Carina

Adrianus Cornelis Appel

Willem Antheunisse

Catherine Hemmert

Rene Marcel LaCrois

Ebe Pieter Schudde

Roelant M Hermant

Bernard Meunier

Marcel Lubben

Michael Renz

Ben L Feringa

Johannes Gerhardus Roelfes

Rob Thijssen

Charon Zondervan

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

Ligand and complex for catalytically bleaching a substrate

There is provided a bleaching detergent composition comprising one or more surfactants, a phenol oxidizing enzyme and a compound which acts as enhancer for the phenol oxidizing enzyme, said composition having an Enhancer Index as herein defined of at least 12 and prefereably in the range of 15-50.

Bleaching detergent compositions

There is provided a process for enhancing the activity of a phenol oxidizing enzyme, comprising adding to the enzyme, as an enhancer for the activity of the enzyme, one or more compounds having the formula:

Method and composition for enhancing the activity of an enzyme

A first aspect of the invention is a process for enhancing the activity of an oxidorecudtase by adding to the enzyme, certain specific compounds which are capable of enhancing the activity of said oxidoreductase enzyme. A second aspect of the invention is an enzymatic bleach composition comprising an oxidoreductase and enhancing compounds.

Method for enhancing the activity of an enzyme

There is provided a process for enhancing the activity of an oxidoreductase, comprising adding to the enzyme, as an enhancer for the activity of said enzyme, a compound having the formula:

Method for the activity of an enzyme

A bleach and oxidation catalyst is provided comprising a catalytically active iron complex which can activate hydrogen peroxide or peroxy acids and was found to have both favourable stain removal and remarkable dye transfer inhibition properties. In addition, a considerably improved stability of these compounds in alkaline aqueous environment has been obtained, in particular at the peroxy compound concentrations generally present in the fabric washing liquor.

Bleach activation

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Vlaardingen, Netherlands

Robin Stefan Twisker