Aziridine photoreductive imaging

Claim 2

IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT COMPRISING AN IMAGE-RECORDING MEANS FOR REGISTERING AN IMAGEWISE CHANGE IN ABSORPTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION, WHEN REDUCED BY AN ACTIVATED PHOTOREDUCTANT, SAID MEANS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMINOTRIARYLMETHANE DYES, AZO DYES, XANTHANE DYES, TRIZINE DYES, NITROSO DYE COMPLEXES, INDIGO DYES, PHTHALOCYANINE DYES, TRIAZOLIUM SALTS AND TETRAZOLIUM SALTS, A PHOTOREDUCANT IN INTIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH SAID IMAGERECORDING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID IMAGE-RECORDING MEANS AND SAID PHOTOREDUCANT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING EMPLOYING AS SAID PHOTOREDUCTANT, A 1,3-DIAZABICYLO(3.1.0)HEX-3-ENE.

Claim 3

In a photographic element according to claim 1, the further improvement in which a binder is employed to hold said photoreductant and said image-recording means in intimate association and in fixed spatial relationship.

Claim 4

In a photographic element according to claim 2 the further improvement in which said polymer binder is a cellulosic compound.

Claim 5

In a photographic element according to claim 3 the further improvement in which said polymer binder is cellulose acetate butyrate.

Claim 6

In a photographic element according to claim 1, the further improvement in which said image-recording means is a triaryl-2H-tetrazolium salt.

Claim 7

In a photographic element according to claim 1 the further improvement in which from 0.1 to 10 moles of said image-recording means are present per mole of photoreductant.

Claim 8

In a photographic element according to claim 6 the further improvement in which said image-recording means and said photoreductant are present in substantially equal molar proportions.

Claim 9

In a photographic element according to claim 1 the further improvement in which said photographic element incorporates a binder in said image-recording layer in a concentration of up to about 99% by weight.

Claim 10

In a photographic element according to claim 8 the further improvement in which said photographic element incorporates a binder in said image-recording layer in a concentration of from 50 to 90% by weight.

Claim 11

In a photographic element according to claim 1 the further improvement in which said photoreductant defined by formula

Claim 12

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which R3 is a phenyl substituent.

Claim 13

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which at least one of said aryl substituents is in turn substituted with at least one alkyl, nitro, halogen, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl or amino substituent.

Claim 14

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which R3 and R4 are phenyl substituents.

Claim 15

In a photographic element according to claim 13 the further improvement in which said photographic element is a 2,4,6-triphenyl-diazabicyclo(3.1.0)hex-3-ene.

Claim 16

In a photographic element according to claim 14 the further improvement in which at least one of said 2-, 4- and 6-position phenyl rings is nitro-substituted.

Claim 17

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which R1 and R2 are alkyl substituents.

Claim 18

In a photographic element according to claim 16 the further improvement in which R3 and R4 are aryl substituents.

Claim 19

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which said alkyl and alkylene substituents and substituent moieties each have 20 or fewer carbon atoms.

Claim 20

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which said alkyl and alkylene substituents and substituent moieties each have 6 or fewer carbon atoms.

Claim 21

In a photographic element according to claim 10 the further improvement in which said aryl substituents are phenyl or naphthyl substituents.

Claim 22

A PROCESS OF IMAGE-RECORDING WHICH COMPRISES IMAGEWISE EXPOSING TO ACTINIC RADIATION A PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT INCORPORATING AN IMAGE-RECORDING MEANS FOR REGISTERING AN ABSORPTION CHANGE WHEN REDUCED BY AN ACTIVATED PHOTOREDUCTANT, SAID MEANS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMINOTRIARYLMETHANE DYES, AZO DYES, XANTHENE DYES, TRIAZINE DYES, NITROSO DYE COMPLEXES, INDIGO DYES, PHTHALOCYANINE DYES, TRIAZOLIUM SALTS AND TETRAZOLIUM SALTS, AND A 1,3-DIAZBICYCLO(O.1.0)HEX-3-ENE PHOTOREDUCTANT, TO CONVERT THE PHOTOREDUCTANT TO A THERMALLY CTIVATABLE REDUCING AGENT PRECURSOR, HEATING THE REDUCING AGENT PRECUROR TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT IT TO A REDUCING AGENT, AND FORMING A VISIBLE IMAGE BY SELECTIVELY REDUCING THE IMAGERECORDING MEANS WITHIN EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT.

Claim 23

A PROCESS OF IMAGE-RECORDING WHICH COMPRISES IMAGEWISE EXPOSING TO ACTINIC RADIATION A PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT INCORPORATING AN IMAGE-RECORDING MEANS FOR REGISTERING AN ABSORPTION CHANGE WHEN REDUCED BY AN ACTIVATED PHOTOREDUCTANT, SAID MEANS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMINOTRIARYLMETHANE DYES, AZO DYES, XANTHENE DYES, TRIAZINE DYES, NITROSO DYE COMPLEXES, INDIGO DYES, PHTHALOCYANINE DYES, TRIAZOLIUM SALTS AND TETRAZOLIUM SALTS, AND A 1,3-DIAZBICYCLO(O.1.0)HEX-3-ENE PHOTOREDUCTANT, TO CONVERT THE PHOTOREDUCTANT TO A THERMALLY CTIVATABLE REDUCING AGENT PRECURSOR, HEATING THE REDUCING AGENT PRECUROR TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT IT TO A REDUCING AGENT, AND FORMING A VISIBLE IMAGE BY SELECTIVELY REDUCING THE IMAGERECORDING MEANS WITHIN EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT.

Claim 24

An image-recording process according to claim 21 in which said photographic element is heated to a temperature in the range of from 70* to 150*C.

Claim 25

An image-recording process according to claim 21 in which said photographic element is imagewise exposed to light.

Claim 26

An image-recording process according to claim 23 in which said radiation-sensitive layer is imagewise exposed to ultraviolet light.

Claim 27

An image-recording process according to claim 21 in which said photographic element is fixed after exposure and heating by use of a mineral acid.