Quinoxaline cyanine dye sensitized organic electron donor compounds

Claim 2

A photosensitive layer comprising an organic electronically active electron donor compound sensitized with a sensitizing amount of an imidazo-[4,5-b]quinoxaline cyanine dye having at least one phenylsulfonyl or benzoyl substituent on an imidazo-[4,5-b]quinoxaline nucleus.

Claim 3

The layer of claim 1 wherein said phenylsulfonyl or benzoyl substituent is on the 6- or 7-position of the imidazo-[4,5-b]quinoxaline nucleus.

Claim 4

The layer of claim 2 wherein said donor compound is a polyvinyl carbazole.

Claim 5

The layer of claim 2 wherein said donor compound is present in an electronically inactive polymeric binder.

Claim 6

The layer of claim 2 wherein said donor compound is a benzocarbazole derivative of the formula wherein R 4 and Y are independently elected from the group consisting of aliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic, and mixed aliphatic-aromatic groups.

Claim 7

The layer of claims 2, 3, or 4 in which said imidazo-[4,5-b]quinoxaline cyanine dye is represented by any of the formula: ##STR10## in which g represents 1, 2 or 3; R and R 1 , which may be the same or different, each represents an aliphatic substituent or a phenyl group; R 2 represents a phenylsulfonyl or a phenylcarbonyl group substituted in 6 or 7 position; Z represents the atoms necessary to complete a nucleus from the group consisting of thiazole, benzothiazole, naphthothiazole, oxazole, benzoxazole, naphthoxazole, selenazole, benzoselenazole, thiazoline, pyridine, indolenine, 2-quinoline, 4-quinoline, 1-isoquinoline, 1,1-dialkyl-indolenine, imidazole, benzimidazole, naphthimidazole, imidazo-[4,5-b]-quinoxaline, 3H-pyrrolo-[2,3-b]-pyridine, 3H-nitro-indole, and thiazole-[4,5-b]-quinoline; R 3 represents an aliphatic group or a phenyl group; L represents a cation nucleus selected from the group consisting of indole, carbazole, isoxazole and pyrazole groups and wherein X - represents an acid anion.

Claim 8

The emulsion of claim 6 wherein W represents ##STR11## and g is 1 or 2.

Claim 9

The layer of claim 6 wherein W represents ##STR12##

Claim 10

The layer of claim 6 wherein W represents ═CH--CH--L + X - .

Claim 11

The layer of claim 7 wherein g is 1, z is selected from the group consisting of thiazole, benzothiazole, oxazole and benzoxazole.

Claim 12

The layer of claim 8 wherein g is 1, and both R and R 1 are the same aliphatic substituent.

Claim 13

The emulsion of claim 8 wherein g is 1 and both R and R 1 are the same phenyl group.

Claim 14

The emulsion of claim 9 wherein L is isoxazole.

Claim 15

The emulsion of claim 6 in which R 2 is a phenylsulfonyl group.

Claim 16

The layer of claim 10 in which R 2 is a phenylsulfonyl group.

Claim 17

An electrophotographic article comprising a substrate having in sequence on at least one surface thereof a conductive layer and the photosensitive layer of claims 1, 2, 4, 7 or 8.