Patent ID: 7014983

Claim:
An imageable element comprising: a substrate; an underlayer over the substrate; and a top layer over the underlayer; in which: the element comprises a photothermal conversion material; the top layer is substantially free of the photothermal conversion material; the top layer is ink receptive; before thermal imaging, the top layer is not removable by an alkaline developer; after thermal imaging to form imaged regions in the top layer, the imaged regions are removable by the alkaline developer; the underlayer is removable by the alkaline developer, and the top layer comprises a co-polymer that comprises K units, L units, and M units; in which: the K units are selected from the group consisting of —[CH 2 C(R 1 )R 2 ]—, —[CH 2 CR 3 (CO 2 R 4 )]—, —[CH 2 CR 5 (CON(R 6 )(R 7 ))]—, —[C(R 8 )(COECO)C(R 9 )]—, and mixtures thereof; the L units are selected from the group consisting of —[CH 2 CH(CN)]—, —[CH 2 C(CH 3 )(CN)]—, and mixtures thereof; the M units are selected from the group consisting of —[CH 2 C(R 10 )(WSi(OR 11 ) 3 )]—, —[CH 2 C(R 12 )(CO 2 (B) n1 T)]—, —[(CH 2 C(R 13 )(CO 2 (CH 2 ) n2 N + (R 14 ) 3 )X − )]−, and mixtures thereof R 1 , R 3 , R 5 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 12 , and R 13 are each independently hydrogen, methyl, or a mixture thereof; R 2 is hydrogen, methyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, halogen, alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms, acyl of one to five carbon atoms, acyloxy of one to five carbon atoms, vinyl, allyl, or a mixture thereof; R 4 , R 6 , and R 7 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, phenyl, or a mixture thereof; each R 11 is independently phenyl, alkyl of one to eight carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof; each R 14 is independently hydrogen, alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof; E is oxygen or NR 15 in which R 15 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, benzyl, or a mixture thereof; W is a bivalent linking group, a combination of bivalent linking groups, or a mixture of bivalent linking groups; B is selected from the group consisting of —[CH 2 CH(R 16 )O]—, —[CH 2 C(R 17 )(OH)]—, and mixtures thereof, in which each R 16 and R 17 is independently hydrogen, alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof; T is hydrogen, alkyl of one to eight carbon atoms, phenyl, or a mixture thereof; X − is an anion; n 1 is 1 to 100; and n 2 is 2 to 8.