Data storage medium comprising colloidal metal and preparation process thereof

1. A composition comprising:

1) transition metal colloidal nanoparticles dispersed in a solution having a viscosity greater than about 10 centipoise, wherein the metal nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than 100 nanometers;

2) at least one monomer or oligomer which undergoes cationic polymerization;

3) optionally a binder which is capable of supporting cationic polymerization; and

4) a first acid generator which produces acid upon exposure to actinic radiation wherein the transition metal colloid nanoparticles suspended in the medium generate heat when exposed to actinic radiation.

2. The composition of claim 1 additionally comprising a sensitizer, which sensitizes the first acid generator to produce acid at a particular wavelength of light.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the sensitizer is an aromatic hydrocarbon substituted with at least one alkynyl groups or one alkenyl groups.

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a second acid generator which produces acid when exposed to heat and wherein the first acid generator and the second acid generator are optionally the same.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the second acid generator is a dialkylaryl sulfonium salt, a diarylalkyl sulfonium salt, a dialkylphenacyl sulfonium salt, a diarylphenacyl sulfonium salt, a triarylsulfonium salt or a trialkylsulfonium salt.

6. The composition of claim 4 wherein the first acid generator and second acid generator each produce acid having a pKa less than about 0.

7. The composition of claim 4 wherein the first acid generator is a diaryliodonium salt and the second acid generator is a dialkylaryl sulfonium salt, a diarylalkyl sulfonium salt, a dialkyiphenacyl sulfonium salt, a diarylphenacyl sulfonium salt, a triarylsulfonium salt or a trialkylsulfonium salt.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the first acid generator is a diaryliodonium salt.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the metal nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than about 20 nanometers.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the metal nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than about 10 nanometers.

11. The composition of claim 1 wherein the binder has a refractive index that differs from the refractive index of polymerized monomer or oligomer by at least about 0.04.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the monomer is an epoxide monomer.

13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the solution comprises between about 10 parts binder and about 90 parts monomer(w/w) to between about 10 parts monomer and about 90 parts binder (w/w).

14. The composition of claim 13 wherein the binder is a poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) and the epoxide monomer is a siloxane comprising two or more cyclohexene oxide groups.

15. The composition of claim 12 wherein the epoxide monomer is a polyfunctional siloxane comprising three or more cyclohexene oxide groups.

16. The composition of claim 14 wherein the composition additionally comprises a second monomer which polymerizes under cationic conditions.

17. The composition of claim 16 wherein the second monomer is a polyfunctional siloxane comprising three or more cyclohexene oxide groups.

18. The composition of claim 16 wherein the composition additionally comprises a third monomer which polymerizes under cationic conditions.

19. The composition of claim 18 wherein the third monomer is a vinyl ether comprising one or more alkenyl ether groupings.

20. The composition of claim 18 wherein the third monomer is a propenyl ether comprising one or more propenyl ether groupings.

21. The composition of claim 12 wherein the epoxide monomer is RSi(R 1 ) 2 OSi(R 2 ) 2 R or R 3 Si(OSi(R 4 ) 2 R 5 ) 3 , wherein:

each group R is, independently, a monovalent epoxy functional group having 2-10 carbon atoms;

each group R 1 is a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted C 1-12 alkyl, C 1-12 cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl group;

each group R 2 is, independently, R 1 , or a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted C 1-12 alkyl, C 1-12 cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl group;

R 3 is an OSi(R 4 ) 2 R 5 grouping, or a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted C 1-12 alkyl, C 1-12 cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl group;

each group R 4 is, independently, a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted C 1-12 alkyl, C 1-12 cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl group; and

each R 5 is, independently, a monovalent epoxy functional group having 2-10 carbon atoms.

22. The composition of claim 21 wherein the transition metal colloidal nanoparticles are palladium (0) or platinum (0) nanoparticles.

23. The composition of claim 21 wherein the transition metal colloidal nanoparticles are gold, silver, nickel, cobalt or copper.

24. The composition of claim 21 wherein the epoxide monomer is RSi(R 1 ) 2 OSi(R 2 ) 2 R and R is 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl; each R 1 is a methyl group, and each group R 2 is a methyl group; or the epoxide monomer is R 3 Si(OSi(R 4 ) 2 R 5 ) 3 and R 3 is a methyl group or OSi(R 4 ) 2 R 5 ; each R 4 is a methyl group, and each group R 5 is 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl.

25. The composition of claim 24 wherein the binder is 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,1,3,5,5-pentaphenyltrisiloxane.

26. The composition of claim 1 wherein the binder is a polysiloxane oligomer or polymer.

27. The composition of claim 1 wherein the transition metal colloidal nanoparticles are dispersed in the at least one monomer or oligomer and the binder.

28. The composition of claim 1 , wherein transition metal colloidal nanoparticles are dispersed in a solution having a viscosity greater than about 50 centipoise.

29. A holographic recording medium, comprising:

1) at least one monomer or oligomer which undergoes cationic polymerization;

2) a binder which is capable of supporting cationic polymerization;

3) a transition metal colloid suspended in the medium which generates heat when exposed to actinic radiation; and

4) a compound which produces acid when exposed to heat, and wherein the metal colloid particles have an average diameter of less than 100 nanometers.

30. A holographic recording medium comprising:

1) at least one epoxide monomer that is a siloxane;

2) a poly(methyl phenyl siloxane);

3) a Pd(0) or Pt(0) colloid particles having an average diameter of less than 100 nanometers suspended in the medium which generates heat when exposed to actinic radiation;

4) a compound, referred to as a “first acid generator” which produces acid when exposed to actinic radiation;

5) a compound, referred to as a “second acid generator” which produces acid when exposed to heat; and

6) a compound, referred to as a “sensitizer”, which sensitizes the first acid generator to produce acid at a particular wavelength of light, and wherein the metal colloid particles have an average diameter of less than 100 nanometers.