Novel blocked phenylenediamine developers for a color photographic element

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel blocked phenylenediamine developer useful, in reactive association, for enabling, on development, a non-magenta color, for example a cyan color, from a dye-forming coupler. In one embodiment, the developer has the property that the dye color formed with the coupler is distinctly different from the color formed by the same coupler with an oxidized form of the conventional developer 4-(N-ethyl-N-2-hydroxyethyl)-2-methylphenylenediamine. The invention is also directed to a light-sensitive silver-halide color photographic element comprising the blocked developing agent according to the present invention.

In the claims:  
     
         1 . Please cancel claims  1 - 16  and substitute the following claims  17 - 27 .  
     
     
         17 . A light sensitive color photographic imaging element comprising at least one blocked developing agent having the following structure:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein, 
 DEV is a silver-halide color developing agent;  
 LINK 1 and LINK 2 are linking groups;  
 TIME is a timing group;  
 is 0 or 1;  
 m is 0, 1, or 2;  
 n is 0 or 1;  
 1+n is 1 or 2;  
 B is a blocking group or B is:  
 —B′—(LINK 2) n -(TIME) m -(LINK 1) 1 -DEV  
 wherein B′ also blocks a second developing agent DEV;  
 wherein the blocked developer liberates a developing agent within the following structure:  
 A-(CR 1 ═CR 2 ) n —NHY  
 wherein:  
 n is 0, 1 or 2;  
 A is OH, or NR 3 R 4 ;  
 Y is H, or a group that cleaves before or during a coupling reaction to form YH; and R 1  R 2 , R 3  and R 4 , which can be the same or different are individually H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, aryl, substituted aryl, halogen, cyano, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryloxy, substituted aryloxy, amino, substituted amino, alkylcarbonamido, substituted alkylcarbonamido, arylcarbonamido, substituted arylcarbonamido, alkylsulfonamido, arylsulfonamido, substituted alkylsulfonamido, substituted arylsulfonamido, or sulfamyl or wherein at least two of R 1  R 2 , R 3  and R 4  together can further form a substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring structure, and 
 wherein the blocked developer according to the present invention enables the formation of a cyan colored dye when the oxidized form of the released developer reacts with a coupler having the following structure:  
                     
 
 
     
     
         18 . A light sensitive color photographic imaging element comprising at least one blocked developing agent having the following structure:  
       DEV-(LINK 1) 1 -(TIME) m -(LINK 2) n -B   I  
       wherein, 
 DEV is a silver-halide color developing agent;  
 LINK 1 and LINK 2 are linking groups;  
 TIME is a timing group;  
 1 is 0 or 1;  
 m is 0, 1, or 2;  
 n is 0 or 1;  
 1+n is 1 or 2;  
 B is a blocking group or B is:  
 -B′-(LINK 2) n -(TIME) m -(LINK 1) 1 -DEV  
 wherein B′ also blocks a second developing agent DEV;  
 wherein the blocked developer liberates a developing agent within the following structure:  
                     
 wherein R 1 , R 1 , R 2 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  which can be the same or different are individually H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, aryl, substituted aryl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryloxy, substituted aryloxy, amino, substituted amino, alkylcarbonamido, substituted alkylcarbonamido, arylcarbonamido, substituted arylcarbonamido, alkylsulfonamido, arylsulfonamido, substituted alkylsulfonamido, substituted arylsulfonamido, or sulfamyl or wherein at least two of R 1 , R 1 , R 2 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  together further form a substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring structure; except that neither R 1  nor R 1  can be H.  
 
     
     
         19 . The light sensitive color photographic imaging element comprising at least one blocked developing agent according to  claim 18  wherein the blocked developing agent liberates a developer represented by the following structure.  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 1  and R 1  are as described above.  
     
     
         20 . The light sensitive color photographic imaging element of  claim 18  comprising at least one blocked developing agent wherein the developer is selected from the group consisting of 4-N,N-diethyl-2-methyl-6-methoxyphenylenediamine, 4-N,N-diethyl-2,6-dimethylphenylenediamine, 4-(N-ethyl-N-2-methanesulfonylaminoethyl)-2,6-dimethylphenylenediamine, 4-(N-ethyl-N-2-hydroxyethyl)-2,6-dimethylphenylenediamine, 4-N,N-diethyl-2-methanesulfonylaminoethyl-6-methylphenylenediamine, 4-(N-ethyl-N-2-hydroxyethyl)-2-ethoxyphenylenediamine, and 4-(N-ethyl-N-2-methoxyethyl)-2,6-dimethylphenylenediamine.  
     
     
         21 . The light sensitive color photographic imaging element comprising at least one blocked developing agent according to  claim 17  wherein the developing agent has an E 1/2  at pH 11 less positive than 200 mV.  
     
     
         22 . The light sensitive color photographic imaging element of  claim 18  comprising a blocked developing agent liberating a developing agent enabling cyan color from the a coupler, in reactive association with the developing agent, on development.  
     
     
         23 . The light sensitive color photographic imaging element of  claim 18 , wherein the element comprises a red-light-sensitive layer unit, a green-light-sensitive layer unit and a blue-light-sensitive layer unit wherein at least one layer unit has in reactive association the blocked developing agent and a dye forming coupler.  
     
     
         24 . The color photographic imaging element of  claim 18 , wherein said element is a photothermographic element.  
     
     
         25 . The color photographic imaging element of  claim 18 , wherein said blocked developer is in reactive association with the red light sensitive color layer unit.  
     
     
         26 . The color photographic imaging element of  claim 18 , wherein an imagewise exposed element is developed by heat treatment.  
     
     
         27 . The color photographic imaging element of  claim 18 , wherein an imagewise exposed element is developed by treatment with base either by contacting the element to a pH controlling solution or by contacting the element to a pH controlling laminate.