Polymerizable metal-azo and metal-azomethine dyes

Claim 1

A polymerizable metal-azo or metal-azomethine dye, of the formula: wherein: Z 1 and Z 2 each independently represents an arene nucleus, with from 5 to 14 ring atoms each; G 1 and G 2 each independently represent a metal ligating group and further wherein G 1 and G 2 may be contained within or pendant from at least one of Z 1 and Z 2 ; R represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an acylamino group, an alkoxy group, a sulfonamido group, an aryl group, a thiol group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an alkylamino group, an arylamino group, an amino group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyloxy group, a nitro group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a sulfoxyl group, an aryloxy group, a hydroxy group, a thioamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a carboxyl group, a sulfo group, a formyl group, an acyl group, a ureido group, or aryloxycarbonyl group, a silyl group, a carbonato group, or a sulfoalkoxy group; L 1 represents any 1°, 2°, or 3° nitrogen or 1°, 2°, or 3° phosphorus containing a vinyl group; L 2 represents a monodentate or polydentate ligand; X represents a nitrogen atom or a methine group; M is a divalent or polyvalent transition metal ion where the coordination number is at least four; and k, m, and n are whole numbers less than or equal to 3.