Photographic compositions, elements and processes for the production of formazan dye images of enhanced red absorption

Claim 2

A COMPOSITION OF MATTER COMPRISING MEANS FOR PROVIDING LABILE HYDROGEN ATOMS, MEANS FOR GENERATING, BY MOLECULAR POTOYSIS OR PHOTOINDUCED REARRANGEMENT, A REDUCING AGENT FOR TETRAZOLIUM SALTS OR A COMPOUND WHICH WILL FORM A REDUCING AGENT FOR TETRAZOLIUM SALTS ONLY WHEN ACTIVATED BY A BASE OR BY HEAT, AND A TETRAZOLIUM CAPABLE OF REDUCTION TO A FORMAZAN DYE INCLUDING A. AS A 5-POSITION SUBSTITUTENT A BENZENE RING ATTACHED TO THE TETRAZOLE NUCLEUS HAVING AT LEAST ONE META OR PARA ALKYL OR ALKOXY SUBSTITUENT AND B. 2- AND 3-POSITION TETRAZOLE NUCLEUS SUBSTITUENTS WHICH ARE, COLLECTIVELY, PREDOMINANTLY ELECTRONEGATIVE.

Claim 3

A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which said meta or para substituent includes an alkyl moiety of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which said alkoxy substituent is a 3,4-dioxyalkylene substituent.

Claim 5

A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which said tetrazolium salt includes dye stabilizing tetrazole nucleus substituents which are, collectively, predominantly electronegative so that the algebraic sum of the Hammett sigma values of the tetrazole nucleus substituents are a. in excess of 0.78 or b. in excess of 0.40 when said tetrazole nucleus is provided with a ring substituent bonded to said tetrazole nucleus at a first ring position and including a single substituent ortho to said first ring position.

Claim 6

A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which said generating means is a quinone.

Claim 7

A composition of matter according to claim 5 in which said quinone incorporates one or more labile hydrogen atoms capable of converting said quinone to a base activatible reducing agent precursor on exposure to actinic radiation, said labile hydrogen atoms being attached to a carbon which is also bonded to the oxygen atom of an oxy substituent or the nitrogen atom of an amine substituent with the further provision that the carbon to hydrogen bond is the third or fourth bond removed from at least one carbonyl quinone bond.

Claim 8

A composition of matter according to claim 1 wherein said providing means is a material which incorporates a labile hydrogen atom attached to carbon atom which is also bonded to the oxygen atom of an oxy substituent or the nitrogen atom of an amine substituent.

Claim 9

A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which said 2-and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents are both predominantly electronegatively substituted.

Claim 10

A compositioN of matter according to claim 8 in which the summed sigma values of said 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents are each predominantly electronegatively substituted and the difference in the summed sigma values of said 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents is less than 0.5.

Claim 11

A photographic element comprising a support and at least one radiation-sensitive image-recording layer thereon comprised of means for providing labile hydrogen atoms, means for generating, by molecular photolysis or photo-induced rearrangement, a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts or a compound which will form a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts only when activated by a base or by heat, and a tetrazolium salt capable of reduction to a formazan dye including a. as a 5-position substituent a benzene ring attached to the tetrazole nucleus having at lease one meta or para alkyl or alkoxy substituent and b. 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents which are, collectively, predominantly electronegative.

Claim 12

A photographic element comprising a support and at least one radiation-sensitive image-recording layer thereon comprised of means for providing labile hydrogen atoms, means for generating, by molecular photolysis or photo-induced rearrangement, a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts or a compound which will form a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts only when activated by a base or by heat, and a tetrazolium salt capable of reduction to a formazan dye including a. as a 5-position substituent a benzene ring attached to the tetrazole nucleus having at lease one meta or para alkyl or alkoxy substituent and b. 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents which are, collectively, predominantly electronegative.

Claim 13

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which said meta or para substituent includes an alkyl moiety of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 14

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which said alkoxy substituent is a 3,4-dioxyalkylene substituent.

Claim 15

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which said tetrazolium salt includes dye stabilizing tetrazole nucleus substituents which are, collectively, predominantly electronegative so that the algebraic sum of the Hammett sigma values of the tetrazole nucleus substituents are a. in excess of 0.78 or b. in excess of 0.40 when said tetrazole nucleus is provided with a ring substituent bonded to said tetrazole nucleus at a first ring position and including a single substituent ortho to said first ring position.

Claim 16

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which said generating means is a quinone.

Claim 17

A photographic element according to claim 14 in which said quinone incorporates one or more labile hydrogen atoms capable of converting said quinone to a base activatible reducing agent precursor on exposure to actinic radiation, said labile hydrogen atoms being attached to a carbon which is also bonded to the oxygen atom of an oxy substituent or the nitrogen atom of an amine substituent with the further provision that the carbon to hydrogen bond is the third or fourth bond removed from at least one carbonyl quinone bond.

Claim 18

A photographic element according to claim 10 wherein said providing means is a material which incorporates a labile hydrogen atom attached to carbon atom which is also bonded to the oxygen atom of an oxy substituent or the nitrogen atom of an amine substituent.

Claim 19

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which said 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents are both predominantly electronegatively substituted.

Claim 20

A photographic element according to claim 10 in which the summed sigma values of said 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents are each predominantly electronegatively substituted and the difference in the summed sigma values of said 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents is less than 0.5.

Claim 21

A image-recording process for imaging an element comprising means for generating, by molecular photolysis or photo-induced rearrangement, a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts or a compound which will form a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts only when activated by a base or by heat, and means for providing labile hydrogen atoms, the process comprising the steps of converting the generating means within a selected areal portion of the element to a reducing agent precursor by imagewise exposing the generating means to actinic radiation, activating the precursor with a base to form a reducing agent and reducing to a formazan dye having a maximum absorption at a wavelength longer than 500 nm, a tetrazolium salt in the element which includes, as a 5-position substituent, a benzene ring attached to the tetrazole nucleus having at least one meta or para alkyl or alkoxy substituent, and 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents which are both predominantly electronegatively substituted.

Claim 22

A image-recording process for imaging an element comprising means for generating, by molecular photolysis or photo-induced rearrangement, a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts or a compound which will form a reducing agent for tetrazolium salts only when activated by a base or by heat, and means for providing labile hydrogen atoms, the process comprising the steps of converting the generating means within a selected areal portion of the element to a reducing agent precursor by imagewise exposing the generating means to actinic radiation, activating the precursor with a base to form a reducing agent and reducing to a formazan dye having a maximum absorption at a wavelength longer than 500 nm, a tetrazolium salt in the element which includes, as a 5-position substituent, a benzene ring attached to the tetrazole nucleus having at least one meta or para alkyl or alkoxy substituent, and 2- and 3-position tetrazole nucleus substituents which are both predominantly electronegatively substituted.

Claim 23

An image-recording process according to claim 19 in which the base is employed in its gaseous phase.

Claim 24

An image-recording process according to claim 20 in which the base is ammonia.