Core-shell silver salts and imaging compositions, materials and methods using same

Claim 2

A core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1.

Claim 3

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.1:1 to about 10:1.

Claim 4

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 wherein either or both of said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are carboxylates.

Claim 5

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 3 wherein both of said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are carboxylates having different chain lengths.

Claim 6

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 4 wherein said first and second carboxylates differ in chain length by at least 2 carbon atoms.

Claim 7

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 wherein said core comprises a mixture of two or more different silver salts, or said shell comprises a mixture of two or more different silver salts, or both said core and shell comprise a mixtures of two or more different silver salts, as long as at least one silver organic coordinating ligand in said core is different from at least one silver organic coordinating ligand in said shell.

Claim 8

The core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 wherein the ratio of said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands continuously decreases as the distance from the center of the core increases.

Claim 9

A composition comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01: 1 to about 100:1, and b) a non-photosensitive non-core-shell silver salt.

Claim 10

A composition comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01: 1 to about 100:1, and b) a non-photosensitive non-core-shell silver salt.

Claim 11

A composition comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, and b) a binder.

Claim 12

A composition comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, and b) a binder.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 9 wherein said binder is a hydrophobic binder.

Claim 14

A thermally-sensitive emulsion comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, and c) a binder.

Claim 15

A thermally-sensitive emulsion comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, and c) a binder.

Claim 16

A thermally-sensitive imaging material comprising a support having thereon one or more layers comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, and c) a binder.

Claim 17

A thermally-sensitive imaging material comprising a support having thereon one or more layers comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, and c) a binder.

Claim 18

A photothermographic composition comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, c) a binder, and d) a photocatalyst.

Claim 19

A photothermographic composition comprising: a) a source of non-photosensitive silver ions comprising a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, c) a binder, and d) a photocatalyst.

Claim 20

The photothermographic composition of claim 13 wherein the photocatalyst is a silver halide, or a mixture of silver halides.

Claim 21

A photothermographic material comprising a support having thereon one or more layers comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, c) a binder, and d) a photocatalyst.

Claim 22

A photothermographic material comprising a support having thereon one or more layers comprising: a) a core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt comprising: a core comprising a non-photosensitive first silver salt comprising a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and at least one shell at least partially covering said core, said shell comprising a non-photosensitive second silver salt comprising a second silver organic coordinating ligand, wherein said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are different, and the molar ratio of said first salt to said second salt is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1, b) a reducing composition for said non-photosensitive silver ions, c) a binder, and d) a photocatalyst.

Claim 23

The photothermographic material of claim 14 wherein said photocatalyst is a silver halide, or mixture of silver halides.

Claim 24

The photothermographic material of claim 16 wherein said photocatalyst comprises core-shell silver halide grains.

Claim 25

The photothermographic element of claim 15 wherein both of said first and second silver organic coordinating ligands are silver carboxylates that are different in chain length.

Claim 26

The photothermographic element of claim 18 wherein each of said core and shell comprises a mixture of silver carboxylates, at least one silver carboxylate in said core being different from at least one silver carboxylate in said shell.

Claim 27

A method of making the core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 comprising: A) preparing a dispersion of a first non-photosensitive silver salt from silver ions and a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and B) preparing a second non-photosensitive silver salt as a shell on said first non-photosensitive silver salt by adding silver ions and a second silver organic coordinating ligand to said dispersion of said first non-photosensitive silver salt, said first and second organic coordinating ligands being different.

Claim 28

A method of making the core-shell non-photosensitive silver salt of claim 1 comprising: A) preparing a dispersion of a first non-photosensitive silver salt from silver ions and a first silver organic coordinating ligand, and B) adding to said dispersion, a second silver organic coordinating ligand that is different from said first silver organic coordinating ligand.

Claim 31

The method of claim 22 wherein dispersion of photosensitive silver halide grains comprises silver halide grains that have been chemically sensitized.

Claim 32

The method of claim 22 wherein said dispersion of photosensitive silver halide grains further comprises a spectral sensitizing dye.

Claim 33

The method of claim 22 wherein said silver halide grains are chemically sensitized after step A.

Claim 34

The method of claim 22 wherein steps C is begun before the completion of step B so as to create a gradual transition from said first non-photosensitive silver salt to said second non-photosensitive silver salt.