A method of forming a photographic coupler (A) having the formula: comprising: (a) providing a coupler (B) having a coupling-off group represented by the formula: ##STR1## (b) reacting said coupling-off group of coupler (B) with phosgene to provide a chloroformate coupling-off group of coupler (B) (c) reacting said chloroformate coupling-off group of coupler (B) in the presence of a strong base selected from the group consisting of triethylamine, N,N-diisopropylethylamine, and tetramethylguanine with: to provide the R.sup.2 group and the BLEACH group of the coupler (A).
A color photographic element comprising a film support and a first radiation-sensitive layer further includes an oxidized developer-scavenging naphtholic coupler that is substantially immobilized in the element but forms a dye that can be removed from the material during photographic processing. The naphtholic coupler, which comprises a dye-forming moiety and a ballasted, substantially photographically inert coupling-off moiety, has the structure ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group, or a hydroxyalkyl group, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together containing a total of up to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, halo, or an alkoxy, an alkylcarbonamido, an alkylsulfonamido, a carbamoyl, or a sulfamoyl group containing up to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 of the dye-forming moiety are each devoid of alkali-solubilizing groups and together allow substantially complete removal during photographic processing of the dye formed by the naphtholic coupler; R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 represent substituent groups that together comprise ballast sufficient to substantially immobilize the coupler in the color photographic element and together render the coupling-off moiety substantially photographically inert, at least one of R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 comprises at least 8 carbon atoms; and R.sup.5 is selected from a group of substituent groups effective to substantially prevent formation of dye and/or stain by reaction of the coupling-off moiety with oxidized developer.
A multilayer silver halide color photographic element comprises a support having coated thereon a silver antihalation layer, an interlayer, at least two red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers, at least two green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers a yellow filter layer, and at least two blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers, wherein the interlayer provided between the silver antihalation layer and the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer closest to the support contains a bleach accelerator releasing compound, and the silver antihalation layer contains a water-soluble organic thiol. The invention provides reduction in residual silver levels and backside turbidity after processing, without deleteriously affecting sensitometric properties of the photographic element.
