Crosslinkable polymers containing acrylamidophenol units

Abstract

Copolymers containing an acrylamidophenol as a crosslinking site and the corresponding crosslinked polymers are disclosed. The acrylamidophenol unit can be copolymerized with a wide variety of other monomers to provide crosslinkable and crosslinked polymers with useful properties. The acrylamidophenol unit provides for crosslinking at low pH with conventional crosslinking agents. The acrylamidophenol monomer unit is present in the copolymer from about 0.5 to 50 percent by weight and has the formula: ##STR1## wherein: x is 1 or 0, L is a linking group, R represents hydrogen or methyl, and R.sup.1 through R.sup.5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and aryl from 6 to 10 carbon atoms; with the proviso that at least one of R.sup.1 through R.sup.5 is hydroxy and at least one of the positions ortho or para to said hydroxy has a hydrogen atom attached thereto. The remainder of the polymer can comprise from 50 to 99.5 percent by weight of at least one additional polymerized ethylenically unsaturated monomer. Elements, particularly photographic elements, comprising a support having coated thereon either the crosslinked or uncrosslinked polymer are also disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.