Structural Transformation and Dyeing Performance of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Filament Using Dicationic Imidazolium Ionic Liquid

3,3'-1,2-ethanediylbis (oxy-2,1-ethanediyl)]-bis1-methyl-imidazolium]-dibromide (DImDBr), a gemini imidazolium ionic liquid, was synthesized for the modification and dyeing promotion of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) filaments. The results showed that parameters such as treatment temperature, time, and DImDBr concentration played a critical role on the tensile strength and tensile strength retention of modified PET filaments. The optimal treatment parameters of the PET filaments were 120 °C for 90 min with addition of 6 % ionic liquid. The influence of disperse dyeing parameters (temperature, time, and dye concentration) on DImDBr modified PET filaments were also studied. The disperse dyed PET filaments (after treatment with DImDBr) exhibited a desirable color strength (K/S value), excellent soap washing fastness, light fastness, and rubbing fastness. Furthermore, the native PET filaments and DImDBr treated PET filaments were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, DSC, TGA, and SEM. Density functional theory (DFT) simulation showed the presence of two kinds of hydrogen bonds (C-H/O and O-H/Br) and eight strong hydrogen bonds in the DImDBr/cis-PET monomers, while only three hydrogen bonds were found in the DImDBr/trans-PET monomers. The structural transformation from the crystalline phase to the amorphous phase (FT-IR, XRD, and DFT simulation) after DImDBr modification confirmed the dyeing promotion of PET filaments at lower temperature.