Cyan coupler dispersion with increased activity

• Main Authors: Poslusny, Jerrold N, Merkel, Paul B, Steele, David A, Michno, Drake M, Ross, David S, Rothrock, Richard K, Zengerle, Paul L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.01.2004

This invention relates to silver halide photographic materials and methods of making such materials, and more specifically to photographic materials comprising dispersions of specific phenolic dye-forming photographic coupler combinations with limited amounts of phenolic activators. The invention provides a color negative photographic element comprising a light sensitive silver halide emulsion imaging layer having associated therewith a cyan dye-forming coupler dispersion comprising a first 2-ureido-5-acylamino substituted phenolic cyan dye-forming coupler [P], a second phenolic cyan dye-forming coupler [AP] where the 2-substituent is other than an ureido group, a substantially non-color-developable phenolic activator compound [ACT], and a non-phenolic organic coupler solvent having a boiling point of at least 150C; wherein compounds represented by [P], [AP], and [ACT] are present in the coupler dispersion in relative weight fractions of from 0.30 to 0.65 for [P], from 0.15 to 0.35 for [AP], and from 0.15 to 0.35 for [ACT], provided the sum of the relative weight fractions for [P]+[AP]+[ACT]=1, and the weight ratio of the non-phenolic coupler solvent in the coupler dispersion is from 0.30 to 2.0 relative to the sum of [P]+[AP]+[ACT]. Photographic elements incorporating the dispersion formulation of this invention provide good activity, a cyan dye of high density and acceptable absorption maximum for color negative films. In addition, partial substitution of less expensive cyan auxiliary phenolic coupler [AP] and activator [ACT] for cyan phenolic coupler [P] advantageously allows cost savings.