Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates

The durability of the materials is often limited as they fade under the influence of external factors, particularly light. The present research aimed to study the photodegradation of commercial inkjet inks in an aqueous solution. The results were compared with their stability on prints in order to e...

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Main Authors: Barbara Blaznik, Franci Kovač, Sabina Bračko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/4/968
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author Barbara Blaznik
Franci Kovač
Sabina Bračko
author_facet Barbara Blaznik
Franci Kovač
Sabina Bračko
author_sort Barbara Blaznik
collection DOAJ
description The durability of the materials is often limited as they fade under the influence of external factors, particularly light. The present research aimed to study the photodegradation of commercial inkjet inks in an aqueous solution. The results were compared with their stability on prints in order to establish the connection between the kinetics of photodegradation of dye in the solution and the durability of the final print. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), chromatography with a mass selective detector (GC/MS), and spectrophotometric measurements were used to study the effect of light, including near UV. The results clearly show that the catalytic effect between different dyes cannot be avoided, as the inks for inkjet printing are usually a mixture of different colorants. A comparison of the results of photodegradation of the dye in solution and on the final prints does not show a direct connection due to the different influences of external factors. Consequently, it was established that it is not possible to predict the photodegradation of prints solely based on a single dye’s analysis in solution. The paper as a substrate must be included in the analysis, as it significantly influences the photodegradation of the print.
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spelling doaj-art-ded26ae6551f45b794c7b651ee36dea72025-08-20T02:03:40ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-02-0130496810.3390/molecules30040968Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed SubstratesBarbara Blaznik0Franci Kovač1Sabina Bračko2Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Snežniška 5, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaFaculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 113, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaFaculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Snežniška 5, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThe durability of the materials is often limited as they fade under the influence of external factors, particularly light. The present research aimed to study the photodegradation of commercial inkjet inks in an aqueous solution. The results were compared with their stability on prints in order to establish the connection between the kinetics of photodegradation of dye in the solution and the durability of the final print. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), chromatography with a mass selective detector (GC/MS), and spectrophotometric measurements were used to study the effect of light, including near UV. The results clearly show that the catalytic effect between different dyes cannot be avoided, as the inks for inkjet printing are usually a mixture of different colorants. A comparison of the results of photodegradation of the dye in solution and on the final prints does not show a direct connection due to the different influences of external factors. Consequently, it was established that it is not possible to predict the photodegradation of prints solely based on a single dye’s analysis in solution. The paper as a substrate must be included in the analysis, as it significantly influences the photodegradation of the print.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/4/968photodegradationdaylightinkjetaqueous solution inkschromatographyprints
spellingShingle Barbara Blaznik
Franci Kovač
Sabina Bračko
Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
Molecules
photodegradation
daylight
inkjet
aqueous solution inks
chromatography
prints
title Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
title_full Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
title_fullStr Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
title_full_unstemmed Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
title_short Kinetics of Photodegradation and Durability of Inkjet Prints: A Comparative Study of Aqueous Solutions and Printed Substrates
title_sort kinetics of photodegradation and durability of inkjet prints a comparative study of aqueous solutions and printed substrates
topic photodegradation
daylight
inkjet
aqueous solution inks
chromatography
prints
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/4/968
work_keys_str_mv AT barbarablaznik kineticsofphotodegradationanddurabilityofinkjetprintsacomparativestudyofaqueoussolutionsandprintedsubstrates
AT francikovac kineticsofphotodegradationanddurabilityofinkjetprintsacomparativestudyofaqueoussolutionsandprintedsubstrates
AT sabinabracko kineticsofphotodegradationanddurabilityofinkjetprintsacomparativestudyofaqueoussolutionsandprintedsubstrates