Sensitizing dye

Figure C3.6.9 Spiral electrochemical wave in dog epicardial muscle visualized using a voltage-sensitive dye. Reproduced by pennission from Pertsov and Jalife [41].

Hamer s book in this series (1). which reviewed the synthesis of sensitizing dyes, their physical characteristics, and general photographic properties up to 1958, remains the basic encyclopedic source for the study of methine dyes. 

Many patents and studies are still published in the field of thiazolo dyes because the photographic industrx is always looking for new sensitizing dyes with improved efficiency and eager to know more about the mechanisms of their action on silver halide. 

The use of sensitizing dyes in photography has been the subject of many studies and constitutes. still now. one of the most studied areas in specialized periodic publications (125, 126) or in textbooks (88. 127). It can be ascertained that one hundred years after Vogel s discovery of spectral sensitization, the basic mechanisms of action of dyes on their silver halide support still remain not fully understood. However, the theoretical reasons explaining why among many other dye families practically only cyanine methine dyes appear to be spectral sensitizers (128) are better known. 

Sensitizers as well as desensitizers form a reversal oxidoreduction system with silver halides, according to both pH and pAg of the photographic emulsion. But besides the specific influence of the emulsion, the efficiency of a sensitizing dye depends on many other factors such as its adsorption, its spectral absorption, the energetic transfer yield, the dye aggregate to the silver halide, and finally on its desensitizing property in... 

The GaAs laser used as light source emits at about 820 nm. Thus dyes in the actual sense are not needed rather, ir-absorbers for the spectmm between 750—850 nm Httie experience is available on this class of dyes, especially as far as their stabiHty is concerned, although much work has been done in this area. Also, infrared sensitive dyes and pigments, used in electrophotography, may be very suitable for WORM disks (8). 

Carbonless Copy Paper. In carbonless copy paper, also referred to as pressure-sensitive record sheet, an acid-sensitive dye precursor, such as crystal violet lactone or /V-hen2oy11eucomethy1ene blue, is microencapsulated with a high boiling solvent or oil within a cross-linked gelatin (76,83,84) or in synthetic mononuclear microcapsules. Microcapsules that have a starch binder are coated onto the back of the top sheet. This is referred to as a coated-back (CB) sheet. The sheet intended to receive the image is treated on the front (coated-front (CF)) with an acid. When the top sheet is mechanically impacted, the dye capsules mpture and the dye solution is transferred to the receiving sheet where the acid developer activates the dye. 

Many spectral-sensitizing dyes can be classified according to molecular stmctures (228). The stmctural part of a dye molecule that enables the molecule to absorb visible or infrared radiation is called a chromophore. The resonance stmcture for three common chromophores is shown. 

Another common loss process results from electron—hole recombination. In this process, the photoexcited electron in the LUMO falls back into the HOMO rather than transferring into the conduction band. This inefficiency can be mitigated by using supersensitizing molecules which donate an electron to the HOMO of the excited sensitizing dye, thereby precluding electron—hole recombination. In optimally sensitized commercial products, dyes... 

According to the electron-transfer mechanism of spectral sensitization (92,93), the transfer of an electron from the excited sensitizer molecule to the silver haHde and the injection of photoelectrons into the conduction band ate the primary processes. Thus, the lowest vacant level of the sensitizer dye is situated higher than the bottom of the conduction band. The regeneration of the sensitizer is possible by reactions of the positive hole to form radical dications (94). If the highest filled level of the dye is situated below the top of the valence band, desensitization occurs because of hole production. 

The role of rose bengal and other sensitizer dyes in the photodimerization of 2-acet5i-l,4-benzoquinone [1125-55-9] involves electron transfer but not singlet oxygen (42) (see Dyes, SENSITIZING). 

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