Generation of color images
Methods for generating a color image are provided which include a multi-layer construction in which at least one of the layers is a thermally activatable layer that includes a thermally activatable composition. The thermally activatable composition includes a non-linear light to heat converter composition and a color forming compound. Upon activation with a light source an image forms.
1. A method for generating a color image comprising:
providing a multi-layer construction comprising at least one thermally activatable layer comprising a thermally activatable composition; and
activating the at least one thermally activatable layer with energy from a light source to form an image;
wherein the thermally activatable composition comprises at least one non-linear light to heat converter composition and at least one color forming compound.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the activating step comprises selectively activating a single thermally activatable layer by focusing the energy from the light source within the thermally activatable layer.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the color forming compound comprises a leuco dye.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the leuco dye comprises an oxazine, a diazine, a thiazine, a fluorescein, a rhodamine, a rhodol, a ketazine, a xanthene, a thiolactone-based leuco dye, a barbituric acid leuco dye, a thiobarbituric acid leuco dye or combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the thermally activatable composition further comprises a thermal acid generator.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-linear light to heat converter composition comprises a metallophthalocyanine, a naphthalocyanine, a cyanine, a fullerene, a metal nanoparticle, a metal oxide nanoparticle, a metal cluster compound, a porphyrin, an indanthrone derivative or combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-linear light to heat converter composition comprises copper phthalocyanine, tin phthalocyanine, or a combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the thermal acid generator comprises a diazonium salt with a tetrafluoroborate or hexafluorophosphate counterion, a diazonium salt with a highly fluorinated alkylsulfonyl methide counterion, a fluorinated arylsulfonyl methide, a highly fluorinated alkyl sulfonyl imide, a diazonium salt with a fluorinated arylsulfonyl imide counterion, a diazonium salt with a mixed aryl- and alkylsulfonyl imide or methide counterion, a cyclic alcohol with adjacent sulfonate leaving groups, or combinations thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source is a focused laser.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the focused laser is operated such that it has a pulse duration from 100 picoseconds to 1 microsecond.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer construction comprises at least 3 thermally activatable layers.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least 3 thermally activatable layers each comprise a different thermally activatable composition, the thermally activatable compositions being selected from thermally activatable compositions which are cyan-forming, magenta-forming, and yellow-forming.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer construction comprises at least 4 thermally activatable layers wherein the at least 4 thermally activatable layers each comprise a different thermally activatable composition, the thermally activatable compositions being selected from thermally activatable compositions which are cyan-forming, magenta-forming, yellow-forming and black-forming.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the thermally activatable layer further comprises a fixing additive.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising a step of fixing the image.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the fixing additive comprises 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone, a hydroquinone, a naphthoquinone, a hydroquinone ether, a naphthoquinone ether, a hydronaphthoquinone ether, or mixtures thereof.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer construction comprises at least one thermally non-activatable layer.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one thermally non-activatable layer is nearer to the light source than the at least one thermally activatable layer.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one thermally non-activatable layer is further from the light source than the at least one thermally activatable layer.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer construction comprises a second thermally activatable layer and at least one thermally non-activatable layer between the at least one thermally activatable layer and the second thermally activatable layer.