Polymeric couplers for heat image separation systems

摘要

A process is disclosed for forming a dye image including the steps of: exposing a photographic element comprising a support bearing a light sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a polymeric color coupler compound capable of forming a heat transferable dye upon development, wherein the polymeric color coupler compound is of the formula: COUP-L-B wherein COUP represents a coupler moiety capable of forming a heat transferable dye upon reaction of the moiety with an oxidation product of a color developer; L is a divalent linking group which is separated from COUP upon reaction of the coupler moiety with said oxidation product of a color developer; and B represents the polymeric backbone; developing said exposed element with a color developer solution to form a heat transferable dye image; heating said exposed, developed element to thereby transfer the dye image from the emulsion layer to a dye receiving layer, where said receiving layer is part of the photographic element or part of a separate dye receiving element brought into contact with the photographic element; and separating the emulsion layer from the dye receiving layer containing the transferred dye image.