Silver-containing non-aqueous composition containing cellulosic polymers

1. A non-aqueous silver precursor composition consisting essentially of:

(a) one or more polymers selected from one or more of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate phthalate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate trimellitate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose;

(b) reducible silver ions that are present at a weight ratio to the one or more (a) polymers of at least 5:1 and up to and including 50:1;

(c) one or more organic solvents, each of which has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 100° C. and up to but less than 500° C.,wherein the Hansen parameter (δ T Polymer ) of each of the one or more polymers is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (δ T Solvent ) of each of the one or more organic solvents; and

(d) a nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of at least 15 and up to and including 25 at 25° C., the (d) nitrogenous base being present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of (b) reducible silver ions.

2. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the (b) reducible silver ions are present at a weight ratio to the one or more (a) polymers of at least 5:1 and up to and including 20:1.

3. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the (b) reducible silver ions are present as a silver salt selected from the group consisting of silver nitrate, silver acetate, silver benzoate, silver nitrite, silver thiocyanate, silver myristate, silver citrate, silver phenylacetate, silver malonate, silver succinate, silver adipate, silver phosphate, silver perchlorate, silver acetylacetonate, silver lactate, silver salicylate, silver oxalate, silver 2-phenylpyridine, silver trifluoroacetate, silver fluoride or a silver fluoride complex, a β-carbonyl ketone silver (I) complex, a silver protein, a silver α-oxycarboxylate pyridine complex, and a combination thereof.

4. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more (c) organic solvents comprises one or more hydroxylic organic solvents, each having an α-hydrogen atom and is chosen from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol, n-octanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, n-decanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, secondary butylcarbinol, isopropyl alcohol, secondary butyl alcohol, secondary amyl alcohol, diethyl carbinol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, methyl-3-heptanol, diisobutyl carbinol, dodecanol-Z, methyl allyl carbinol, cyclohexanol, methyl cyclohexyl carbinol, phenyl methyl carbinol, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, methoxy isopropanol, and a combination thereof.

5. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogenous base is an aromatic cyclic compound.

6. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogenous base is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2]octane (DABCO), cyclohexylamine, piperidine, N-methyl piperidine, N-methyl-3-piperidinol, ethanol amine, 2-(ethylamino)ethanol, 2-(methylamino)ethanol, 2-(butylamino)ethanol, methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diethanolamine (DEA), diglycolamine (DGA), diethylaminoethanol (DEAE), substituted or unsubstituted non-polymeric pyridine, picolines, lutidines, quinoline, purine, isoquinoline, imidazole, benzimidazole, benzthiazole, thiazole, oxazole, benzoxazole, 4,4′-bipyridine, pyrazine, triazine, pyrimidine, nicotinic acid, and isonicotinic acid, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), and a combination thereof.

7. The non-aqueous silver precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the (a) one or more polymers is one or more of cellulose acetate, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose, and cellulose acetate propionate.