SENSITIZER DYES FOR PHOTOACID GENERATING SYSTEMS USING SHORT VISIBLE WAVELENGTHS

1 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A holographic recording medium, wherein said medium comprises:

a) a dye represented by Structural Formula (I):

wherein:

R 1 and R 3 , are each independently —H, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —Si(R 5 ) 3 ;

R 2 is —H, is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —Si(R 5 ) 3 ;

R 5 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group; and

wherein ring A and ring B, in addition to R 1 or R 3 , are each independently further optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, trialkylammonium and diarylamino groups, wherein each alkyl, and each aryl is independently optionally substituted;

b) a compound, referred to as a “PAG,” which in combination with the dye produces acid when exposed to actinic radiation;

c) a monomer or oligomer which is capable of undergoing cationic polymerization initiated by the acid; and

d) a binder that is capable of supporting cationic polymerization of the monomer or oligomer.

23 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the dye represented by Structural Formula (II):

wherein:

R 1 and R 3 , are each independently —H, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group; and

R 2 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy groups, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —H.

24 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein said medium is greater than about 300 μm thick.

25 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein said medium is greater than 500 μm thick.

26 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein said medium is greater than 1,000 μm thick.

27 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the PAG is a sulfonium, iodonium, diazonium or phosphonium salt and wherein the medium has a thickness of greater than 100 μm.

28 . (canceled)

29 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein R 2 is —H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group.

30 . The holographic recording medium of claim 29 , wherein R 1 and R 3 are —H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group.

31 . (canceled)

32 . The holographic recording medium of claim 30 , wherein R 2 is —H or —OCH 3 .

33 . The holographic recording medium of claim 29 , wherein R 1 and R 3 are —H or —OCH 3 and R 2 is H.

34 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the binder is diffusible and inert to polymerization.

35 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the monomer is an epoxide monomer.

36 . The holographic recording medium of claim 35 , wherein the epoxide monomer comprises cyclohexene oxide groups.

37 . The holographic recording medium of claim 36 , wherein the epoxide monomer is a siloxane comprising two or more cyclohexene oxide groups.

38 . The holographic recording medium of claim 36 , wherein the epoxide monomer is a polyfunctional siloxane comprising three or more cyclohexene oxide groups.

39 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the medium comprises a second monomer or oligomer capable of undergoing cationic polymerization.

40 . The holographic recording medium of claim 22 , wherein the salt is an iodonium salt selected from the group consisting of (4-octyloxyphenyl)phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate, ditolyliodonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, diphenyliodonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, tolylphenyliodonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, cumyltolyliodonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, di(4-t-butylphenyl)iodonium tris(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methylate, dicumyliodonium tetrakis(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)borate, di(4-t-butylphenyl)iodonium tetrakis(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)borate and cumyltolyliodonium tetrakis(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)borate.

41 - 53 . (canceled)

54 . A method of recording holograms within a holographic recording medium wherein the medium comprises:

a) a dye represented by following structural formula:

wherein:

R 1 and R 3 , are each independently —H, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —Si(R 5 ) 3 ;

R 2 is —H, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —Si(R 5 ) 3 ;

R 5 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group; and

wherein ring A and ring B, in addition to R 1 or R 3 , are each independently further optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, and trialkylammonium and diarylamino groups, wherein each alkyl, and each aryl is independently optionally substituted;

b) a compound, referred to as a “PAG,” which in combination with the dye produces acid when exposed to actinic radiation;

c) a monomer or oligomer which is capable of undergoing cationic polymerization initiated by the acid; and

d) a binder that is capable of supporting cationic polymerization of the monomer or oligomer,

said method comprising the step of passing into the medium a reference beam of coherent actinic radiation and an object beam of the same coherent actinic radiation, thereby forming within the medium an interference pattern, such that the PAG is capable of producing acid upon exposure to the actinic radiation, and the monomer or oligomer is capable of undergoing cationic polymerization initiated by the acid and thereby recording a hologram within the medium.

55 . The method of claim 54 , wherein the dye is represented by Structural Formula (II):

wherein:

R 1 and R 3 , are each independently —H, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group;

R 2 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy groups, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, or —H.

56 . The method of claim 54 , wherein the compound which produces acid when exposed to actinic radiation is a sulfonium, iodonium, diazonium or phosphonium salt.

57 . The method of claim 54 , wherein the medium has a thickness of greater than 100 μm.

58 . The method of claim 55 , wherein R 2 is —H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group and, optionally, wherein R 1 and R 3 , are —H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group.

59 . (canceled)

60 . The method of claim 58 , wherein R 2 is —H.

61 . The method of claim 58 , wherein R 2 is —OCH 3 .

62 . The method of claim 58 , wherein R 1 and R 3 are —OCH 3 and R 2 is —H.