Imageable composition containing colorant having a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid

1. An imageable composition comprising:

an acid curable composition;

an acid generator; and

a colorant, wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid;

and further comprising an infrared absorber, a photothermal converter material, or both.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the acid curable composition comprises:

a crosslinkable binder; and

a crosslinking agent.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the binder comprises a polymer having at least two reactive groups each independently selected from the group consisting of: hydroxy, carboxylic acid, amine, carbamate, amide, sulfonamide and imide.

4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the binder comprises a polymer having at least two reactive hydroxy groups.

5. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the binder comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of: a polyol, a polyether polyol, a novolak resin, a resole resin, a hydroxyfunctional acrylic resin, a hydroxyfunctional polyester resin, and combinations thereof.

6. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the binder comprises a novolak resin.

7. The composition of claim 2 , comprising a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of: a resole resin, an amino resin, an amido resin, an epoxy compound having at least two epoxide groups, and combinations thereof.

8. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the crosslinking agent comprises a resole resin.

9. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the crosslinking agent comprises an amino resin having at least two alkoxymethyl groups.

10. The composition of claim 2 , comprising an isocyanate crosslinker having at least two isocyanate groups.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the acid generator is an ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation or heat activated compound.

12. The composition of claim 1 , comprising an acid generator selected from the group consisting of: an onium salt, a covalently bound sulfonate group-containing compound, hydrocarbylsulfonamido-N-hydrocarbyl sulfonate, and combinations thereof.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the acid generator comprises an onium salt.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the onium salt has a non-nucleophilic counter anion selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, hexafluoroarsenate, hexafluoroantimonate, triflate, tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, pentafluoroethyl sulfonate, p-methylbenzene sulfonate, ethyl sulfonate, trifluoromethyl acetate and pentafluoroethyl acetate.

15. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the onium salt is selected from the group consisting of: an iodoniumn salt, a sulfonium salt, a hydrocarbyloxysulfonium salt, a hydrocarbyloxyammonium salt, an aryl diazonium salt, and combinations thereof.

16. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the onium salt is a salt of an N-hydrocarbyloxy-substituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the acid generator includes a monomeric or oligomeric aromatic diazonium salt.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the diazonium salt is selected from the group consisting of 2-methoxy-4-phenylaminobenzene diazonium hexafluorophosphate, 2-methoxy-4-phenylaminobenzenediazonium p-toluenesulfonate, and combinations thereof.

19. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the diazonium salt is an oligomeric diazonium salt represented by one of the structures:

wherein n is from 1 to 11, and combinations thereof.

20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a photothermal converter material.

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises an infrared absorber.

22. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the infrared absorber is selected from the group consisting of: a pigment, a dye, and combinations thereof.

23. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the infrared absorber includes a dye selected from the group consisting of: cyanine dyes, squarylium dyes, pyrylium salts and nickel thiolate complexes.

24. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the infrared absorber includes an infrared-absorbing dye including a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid.

25. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the infrared-absorbing dye includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile sulfonic acid.

26. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the infrared-absorbing dye is represented by the structure:

27. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the infrared-absorbing dye is represented by the structure:

28. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile sulfonic acid.

29. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the colorant includes a compound represented by the structure:

30. An imageable element comprising:

a substrate; and

an imageable coating on a surface of the substrate, the coating comprising:

an acid curable composition;

an acid generator; and

a colorant, wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid, and wherein the colorant enhances the visual contrast between image areas and non-image areas after imaging of the imageable element;

and further comprising an infrared absorber, a photothermal converter material, or both.

31. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the substrate is an aluminum sheet.

32. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the acid curable composition comprises:

a crosslinkable binder; and

a crosslinking agent.

33. The imageable element of claim 32 , wherein the binder comprises a polymer having at least two reactive hydroxy groups.

34. The imageable element of claim 32 , wherein the binder comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of: a polyol, a polyether polyol, a novolak resin, a resole resin, a hydroxyfunctional acrylic resin, a hydroxyfunctional polyester resin, and combinations thereof.

35. The imageable element of claim 32 , wherein the binder comprises a novolak resin.

36. The imageable element of claim 32 , comprising a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of: a resole resin, an amino resin, an amido resin, an epoxy compound having at least two epoxide groups, and combinations thereof.

37. The imageable element of claim 32 , wherein the crosslinking agent comprises a resole resin.

38. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the acid generator is an ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation or heat activated compound.

39. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the acid generator comprises an onium salt.

40. The imageable element of claim 39 , wherein the onium salt is selected from the group consisting of: an iodonium salt, a sulfonium salt, a hydrocarbyloxysulfonium salt, a hydrocarbyloxyammonium salt, an aryl diazonium salt, and combinations thereof.

41. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the acid generator includes a monomeric or oligomeric aromatic diazonium salt.

42. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the imageable coating comprises a pholothermal converter material.

43. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the imageable coating comprises an infrared absorber.

44. The imageable element of claim 43 , wherein the infrared absorber is selected from the group consisting of: a pigment, a dye, and combinations thereof.

45. The imageable element of claim 43 , wherein the infrared absorber includes a dye selected from the group consisting of: cyanine dyes, squarylium dyes, pyrylium salts and nickel thiolate complexes.

46. The imageable element of claim 43 , wherein the infrared absorber includes an infrared-absorbing dye including a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid.

47. The imageable element of claim 46 , wherein the infrared-absorbing dye includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile sulfonic acid.

48. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile sulfonic acid.

49. The imageable element of claim 30 , wherein the colorant includes a compound represented by the structure:

50. A method of making an imageable element including a substrate and an imageable coating on the substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

contacting a substrate with an imageable composition dissolved or dispersed in a suitable solvent, wherein the imageable composition comprises

an acid curable composition,

an acid generator, and

a colorant, wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid, and wherein the colorant enhances the visual contrast between image areas and non-image areas after imaging of the imageable element;

and further comprises an infrared absorber, a photothermal converter material, or both; and

drying to remove solvent, leaving an imageable coating on the substrate.

51. A method of producing an imaged element comprising the steps of:

providing a thermally imageable element comprising a substrate and a thermally imageable coating on a surface of the substrate, the coating comprising an acid curable composition, an acid generator, and a colorant, wherein the colorant includes a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid, and further comprising an infrared absorber or a photothermal converter material;

imagewise exposing the imageable element to heat to produce an exposed element having exposed and unexposed regions of the coating;

baking the exposed element at a temperature and period of time sufficient to produce a cured element; and

contacting the cured element with a developer to remove the unexposed regions of the coating and thereby produce the imaged element: wherein the colorant enhances the visual contrast between image areas and non-image areas of the imaged element.

52. The method of claim 51 , wherein the step of imagewise exposing is carried out using an infrared laser.