Nanoparticle dispersion to improve radiation sensitivity

1. A radiation-sensitive material comprising:

(a) a substrate; and

(b) a radiation sensitive composition disposed on said substrate,

wherein the radiation sensitive composition comprises an acetylenic radiation sensitive active component and a nanoparticle dispersion containing nanoparticles of a sensitizer wherein the nanoparticles have an average particle size of about 1 nm to about 500 nm, and wherein the sensitizer improves the radiation sensitivity of the acetylenic radiation sensitive active component.

2. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 1 , wherein said radiation-sensitive material is a radiochromic self-developing film.

3. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 1 , wherein the radiation sensitive active component comprises a substantially crystalline image receptive polyacetylenic compound.

4. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 3 , wherein said substantially crystalline image receptive polyacetylenic compound has the structure:

A-(CH 2 ) n —C═C—C═C—(CH 2 ) m —B

wherein m and n are both independently an integer from 6 to 14 and A and B are independent from one another and are selected from the group consisting of methyl, carboxyl, hydroxy, amido, lower aklyl substituted amido, aliphatic or aromatic carboxylate ester group having up to 10 carbon atoms, mono- or di-valent carboxylate metal salt group, halo, carbamyl, lower aklyl substituted carbamyl or tosyl, triyn or tetrayne products of the above polyacetylenes having from 20 to 60 carbon atoms and a conjugated structure, and combinations thereof.

5. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 4 , wherein said polyacetylenic compound is a mono-valent carboxylate metal salt.

6. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 5 , wherein said mono-valent carboxylate metal salt is a lithium salt.

7. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 1 , wherein said sensitizer includes at least one sensitizer selected from the group consisting of elements from bromine (z=35) to bismuth (z=83).

8. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 4 , wherein said sensitizer comprises bismuth.

9. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 1 , wherein said radiation sensitive composition is substantially transparent.

10. The radiation-sensitive material of claim 1 , wherein the radiation sensitive active component is lithium pentacosa-10,12-diynoic acid (LiPCDA).

11. A method for improving radiant energy sensitivity of an image-forming diacetylene compound comprising:

(a) dispersing nanoparticles of a sensitizer in a dispersing agent to form a nanoparticle dispersion, where the sensitizer improves the radiation sensitivity of the image-forming diacetylene compound; and

(b) formulating a coating fluid comprising the nanoparticle dispersion and an image-receptive polyacetylene compound.