Chromogenic compositions containing stabilized phenolic coupler compounds, recording materials and processes utilizing same

Claim 1

A recording or reproduction material comprising a support and a coating of a sensitive layer on said support, said sensitive layer containing, as essential color forming reactants, a chromogenic compound capable of reacting with a phenolic coupler compound to form a colored reaction product selected from the group consisting of spiropyram compounds, triarylmethane compounds, chromogenic ferric salts, non-photosensitive chromogenic silver salts and diazonium compounds, and a hydroxyl group-blocked phenolic coupler compound which is the reaction product of a phenolic coupler compound and a hydroxyl group reactive compound capable of replacing the hydrogen atom of each phenolic hydroxyl group of the phenolic coupler compound, the stabilized phenolic compound being non-reactive to the chromogenic compound and being capable of producing the phenolic coupler compound by decomposition in situ wherein the stablized phenolic coupler compound is a derivative of 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene of the formula ##STR59## wherein G represents a hydrogen atom, a sulfonic group or a sulfonate of ammonium or an amine and represented by the formula: --SO.sub.3.sup.-, EH.sup.+ ] in which E represents ammonia or a primary, secondary or tertiary aromatic or aliphatic amine; Z represents a radical of the following formula (IIa), (IIb), or (IIc) ##STR60## wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 5 and when Z represents a radical of formula (IIa) then A is a radical R 3 selected from the group consisting of a straight or branched alkyl or alkenyl group of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may be substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a chlorine atom, a nitrile group, phenyl and alkyl phenyl in which the alkyl has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and X 1 is a triorganosilyl radical of the formula ##STR61## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 may be the same or different, and R 1 and R 2 have the same meaning as R 3 ; or X 1 and A may be linked together to form a divalent radical of the following formula (Va), (Vb) or (Vc): ##STR62## in which the silicon atom is linked to the oxygen atom at the 3-position of the naphthyl group; R 1 and R 2 may be the same or different and are as defined above, m is 1, 2 or 3 and G is as defined above, with the proviso that when there is more than one G group in the molecule they are identical; when Z represent a radical of formula (IIb) then X 1 , Y 1 and T are defined according to (A), (B) or (C): (A) Y 1 represents a radical OR in which R is branched or straight alkyl of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms or the group --O.sup.-, EH.sup.+ ] wherein E is as previously defined, T has the same meaning as R or ammonia, and X 1 is a radical of the formula: ##STR63## wherein p is 0, 1, 2 or 3 and G and R have the previously given definitions, with the provisos that when there is more than one G group in the molecule they are identical; when one OR group is an oxyammonium group the other OR group is identical and G is a hydrogen atom or a sulfonate group --SO 3 - , EH + with the EH + groups representing the identical radical; (B) T is a radical OR 1 wherein R 1 is a hydrogen atom or the radical R as previously defined, and Y 1 and X 1 together form a divalent radical of the following formula: ##STR64## wherein p is 0, 1, 2 or 3, q is 0 or 1 and G and R 1 are as defined above, with the provisos that when q is 1, the atoms of phosphorous are bound by an oxygen atom; when p and q are both 0, X 1 and Y 1 form a valence link; when there is more than one G group in the molecule they are identical; all radicals OR 1 in the molecule are identical to each other and when OR 1 represents an oxyammonium group, the group G is a hydrogen atom or a sulfonate group --SO.sub.3.sup.-, EH.sup.+ ] in which all EH + radicals are identical; or (C) T is a radical of the following formula (IIb 3 ) ##STR65## wherein p and G are as defined above; X 2 and Y 2 together form a valency link; and X 1 and Y 1 form a valency link; or Y 1 and Y 2 together form a radical of the following formula (IIb 4 ) ##STR66## in which the groups W 1 and X 1 and W 2 and X 2 each represent a valency link; and when Z represents a radical of formula (IIc) then X 1 also represents the same radical of formula (IIc); or Z and X 1 together for the radical >C═O.