Lithographic printing plate precursor including (ethylene, vinyl acetal) copolymers

1. A positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor comprising:

a support including a hydrophilic surface or a hydrophilic layer; and

a heat- and/or light-sensitive coating provided on the support, the coating including a first (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer including:

a plurality of ethylenic moieties A having a structure according to the formula:

wherein

R 2 and R 3 independently represent hydrogen, a halogen, an optionally substituted linear, branched, or cyclic alk(en)yl group, or an optionally substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic group;

a plurality of acetal moieties B having a structure according to the formula:

wherein

L is a divalent linking group;

X=0 or 1;

R 1 represents an optionally substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic group including at least one hydroxyl group; and

the coating includes a second (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer, which is different from the first (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer, and which includes a plurality of ethylenic moieties A.

2. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the second (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer further includes a plurality of acetal moieties B and a plurality of acetal moieties F and/or acetal moieties G, which are different from the acetal moieties B, and which include at least one nitrogen atom.

3. The printing plate precursor according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of acetal moieties F and/or acetal moieties G have a structure according to the formulae:

wherein

L 2 and L 3 independently represent a linking group;

z and t independently represents 0 or 1;

R 6 and R 7 independently represent an optionally substituted alkyl group, or an optionally substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic group;

in moiety F, at least one of R 6 or L 2 includes a nitrogen atom; and

in moiety G, at least one of R 7 or L 3 includes a nitrogen atom.

4. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the second (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer further includes a plurality of the acetal moieties E according to the formula:

wherein

L 1 represents a divalent linking group;

y=0 or 1; and

R 5 represents an aromatic or heteroaromatic group including at least one hydroxyl group and optionally one or more additional substituent(s), and at least one electron withdrawing group in the ortho or the para position relative to the at least one hydroxyl group.

5. The printing plate precursor according to claim 4 , wherein the electron withdrawing group has a Hammett σ p value ≥0.30.

6. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the second (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer further includes a plurality of the acetal moieties B, and a plurality of acetal moieties H and/or acetal moieties I, which include a structural moiety including a chromophoric group having a main absorption in the infrared region.

7. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the coating further includes a binder including a sulfonamide group, an imide group, a nitrile group, a urea group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, and/or a phosphoric acid group.

8. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the coating further includes a phenolic resin selected from a novolac, a resol, or a polyvinylphenolic resin.

9. The printing plate precursor according to claim 1 , wherein the coating includes:

a first layer including the second (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer; and

a second layer, above the first layer, including the first (ethylene vinyl) acetal copolymer.

10. The printing plate precursor according claim 9 , wherein the first layer further includes a binder including a sulfonamide group, an imide group, a nitrile group, a urea group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, and/or a phosphoric acid group.