Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Ian J Ferguson

Ranjan C Patel

Vivien L Bell

Gavin M Buchan

Herbert J Pennicott

Alan G Hulme-Lowe

Mark J Weatherley

Novel, linear, film-forming polymers and copolymers can be coated on certain metal surfaces, which polymers or copolymers are derived from one or more classes of ethylenically-unsaturated monomers and include at least one novel monomer having a bidentate chelating moiety. The polymers which contain bidentate chelating groups provide significant and varied chemical modification to a metal surface. When coated on a metal surface the polymers are useful as a protective coating or a priming layer.

Bidentate chelating monomers and polymers

An optical data storage element in which information can be recorded and read directly afterwards by means of laser light comprising, as a recording medium a dye dissolved or dispersed in a binder in which at least 25% by weight of the binder comprises a polymer in which at least 50% of the units have the general formula: ##STR1## in which: R.sup.1 to R.sup.8 are independently selected from hydrogen, an alkyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms, an aromatic group of up to 12 carbon atoms, halogen, ether, carboxylic acid, ketone, nitro, amino and hydroxy groups of any two adjacent groups of R.sup.1 to R.sup.8 may comprise the necessary atoms to complete a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, and there are at least 10 units of formula (I) within the polymer chain. The dye-polymer system possesss high sensitivity acceptable CNR and particularly good stability to repeated read.

Recording medium for optical data storage

A radiation-sensitive element capable of recording an image upon image-wise exposure to radiation of selected wavelength, the element comprising, as the image-forming components, an effective amount of a bleachable dye in reactive association with an iodonium ion. Suitable dyes include polymethine dyes having an oxidation potential between 0 and +1 volt.

Oxidative imaging

An optical recording element in which information can be recorded and read directly afterwards by means of laser light, comprises a substrate having on at least one side a recording layer including an effective amount of one or more compounds selected from a certain class of trimethine and longer chain aryl polymethine dyes associated with specific counter-ions.

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Ickleton, United Kingdom

Ian J Ferguson