Silver halide emulsions and photographic elements containing adsorbable alkynyl substituted heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salts

In a negative working photographic element of intermediate or lower contrast comprised of a support and one or more silver halide emulsion layers, at least one of said emulsion layers being comprised of a dispersing medium and gold sensitized surface latent image forming silver halide grains, the improvement comprising, adsorbed to the surface of said gold sensitized silver halide grains, a heterocyclic ammonium salt of the formula:

• ##STR26## wherein Z represents the atoms completing a heterocyclic quaternary ammonium nucleus comprised of an azolium or azinium ring;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen or an alkyl substituent of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a substituent having a Hammett sigma value derived electron withdrawing characteristic more positive than -0.2;
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl substituent of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• E.sup.2 is --O-- or --Amino--;
• Amino is a primary or secondary amino moiety;
• Ar is an arylene group;
• L is a divalent aliphatic linking group;
• X is a charge balancing counter ion;
• and
• n, p, and q are independently 0 or 1.

In a direct positive photographic element comprised of a support and one or more silver halide emulsion layers comprised of a dispersing medium, internal latent image forming silver halide grains, and a heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt nucleating agent, the improvement comprising, adsorbed to the surface of said silver halide grains, a heterocyclic quaternary ammmonium salt nucleating agent is of the formula:

• ##STR27## wherein Z represents the atoms completing a heterocyclic quaternary ammonium nucleus comprised of azolium or azinium ring;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen or an alkyl substituent of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a substituent having a Hammett sigma value derived electron withdrawing characteristic more positive than -0.2;
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl substituent of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• E.sup.2 is --O-- or --Amino--;
• Amino is a primary or secondary amino moiety;
• Ar is an arylene group;
• L is a divalent aliphatic linking group;
• X is a charge balancing counter ion;
• and
• n, p, and q are independently 0 or 1.

In a photographic image transfer film unit comprising

• a support,
• at least one emulsion layer located on said support containing a dispersing medium, radiation sensitive internal latent image forming silver halide grains, and a heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt nucleating agent,
• a dye image providing material present in said emulsion layer or a layer adjacent thereto, and
• a receiving layer for providing a viewable transferred dye image following imagewise exposure and processing of said emulsion layer,
• the improvement comprising, said heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt being adsorbed to said silver halide grain surfaces and being of the formula:
• ##STR28## wherein Z represents the atoms completing a heterocyclic quaternary ammonium nucleus comprised of an azolium or azinium ring;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen or an alkyl substituent of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a substituent having a Hammett sigma value derived electron withdrawing characteristic more positive than -0.2;
• X is a charge balancing counter ion;
• and
• n is 0 or 1;
• and
• Z or R.sup.3 includes a thioamido adsorption promoting moiety.