Application of Smart and Functional Dyes in Textiles

Our future will be based on functional and AI based smart products, where every industry wants to develop these kinds of products. Textile industry also cannot remain untouched with this technological innovation. Dyes have been utilising for coloration of textiles since ancient time. But at present with various advancement in technology as well as requirements of consumers, the need for functional and smart dyes arises. Various current researches are based on application of smart and functional dyes on textile to develop smart and functional textiles. The dyes which add the functional and smart properties to the textiles can be called as functional and smart dyes. Functional and smart dyes are available in both synthetic and natural form. But with the environment concern, the researchers are going on to find out natural source of these dyes. Functional dyes such as UV protective dye, antimicrobial dye, moth repellent dye offer specific function after application on textiles. Smart dyes like photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic and solvatochromic etc. are playing very imp role to develop a smart textile which can offer reversible colour change which leads to impart various properties such as thermoregulation, camophlage properties into the textiles. Functional dyes generally limited to the textiles sector but smart dyes are not just restricted to it. Application of smart dyes is extended to various fields such as automobiles, robotics, aircrafts, medicine and surgery etc. This chapter will mainly deal with the types, application methods and application area of functional and smart dyes especially in connection with textiles.