Composition containing a photo-activator for improved bleaching

Claim 1

A bleach composition comprising a porphine photo-activator, characterised in that the porphine photo-activator is a weakly colouring to non-colouring porphine photo-activator having the general formula wherein X is individually (= N -) or (= CY -), the total number of (= N -) groups being at least one; wherein Y is individually hydrogen or optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkaryl or heteroaryl; wherein each of R 1 , . R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is individually an optionally substituted ortho-arylene system forming together with a pyrrole ring in the porphine core a condensed nucleus; wherein M is 2(H) atoms bound diagonally opposite nitrogen atoms, or Zn (II), Ca (II), Mg (II), Al (III) or Sn (IV); wherein Z is any necessary counter ion for the solubilizing groups; wherein n is the number of solubilizing groups; wherein substituted into Y or any R i , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 may be A, a solubilizing group selected from the group consisting of (a) cationic groups, where Z is an anion and n is from 0 to about 10; (b) polyethoxylate nonionic groups - (CH 2 CH 2 0/gH, where Z is zero, n is from 0 to about 10, and G=ng= the number of condensed ethylene oxide molecules per porphine molecule is from 0 to about 70; (c) anionic groups where Z is a cation and n isfrom 0 to about 10; such that the lowest energy allowed electronic transition of the photo-activator molecule gives rise to an absorption band (Q band) with a maximum intensity, at a wavelength greater than 700 nm.