A silver halide color photographic material comprising at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one yellow dye-forming coupler represented by formula (1) and at least one compound represented by the formula (a-I), (a-II), (a-III), (a-IV), (a-V), or (a-VI):
- ##STR59## wherein X.sup.3 represents an organic residue completing a nitrogen-containing heterocyclyl group together with ##STR60## Y represents an aromatic or heterocyclic group;
- and Z represents a group capable of splitting off when the coupler represented by the foregoing formula reacts with the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amine color developing agent;
- ##STR61## wherein R.sub.a1 represents --C(.dbd.O)--R.sub.a21, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n3 --R.sub.a21, --C(.dbd.O)O--R.sub.a21, --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a22)(R.sub.a23), --C(.dbd.O)N(R.sub.a21)(R.sub.a24) or --S(.dbd.O).sub.n4 N(R.sub.a21)(R.sub.a24), or a linkage group via which the compound can form a dimer or higher polymer;
- Z.sub.a1 and Z.sub.a2 are the same or different, each being a divalent connecting group attached to the nitrogen atom via its carbon atom, and the nitrogen-containing hetero ring formed by Z.sub.a1, Z.sub.a2, X.sub.a1 and the nitrogen atom is a 5- to 8-membered ring;
- X.sub.a1 represents --O--, --S(O).sub.n5 --, --N(R.sub.a25)--, or --C(R.sub.a26)(R.sub.a27)--;
- R.sub.a21 represents an aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic group;
- R.sub.a22 and R.sub.a23 are the same or different, each being an aliphatic, aromatic, aliphatic oxy or aromatic oxy group;
- R.sub.a24 represents a hydrogen atom, or an aliphatic or aromatic group;
- R.sub.a25 represents an aliphatic group, or is the same as R.sub.a1 ;
- R.sub.a26 and R.sub.a27 are the same or different, each being a hydrogen atom, or an aliphatic, aliphatic oxy, aromatic oxy, aliphatic acyloxy or aromatic acyloxy group;
- n3 and n4 each represent 1 or 2;
- n5 represents 0, 1 or 2;
- and R.sub.a22 and R.sub.a23, R.sub.a21 and R.sub.a24, or R.sub.a26 and R.sub.a27 may combine to form a 5- to 8-membered ring;
- but with the proviso that the nitrogen-containing hetero ring constituted of Z.sub.a1, Z.sub.a2, X.sub.a1 and N which is a 2,2,6,6-tetraalkylpiperidine ring is excluded;
- X.sub.a2 --Z.sub.a3 --X.sub.a3 (a-II)
- wherein X.sub.a2 and X.sub.a3 are the same or different, each being --N(R.sub.a35)(R.sub.a36), --C(.dbd.O)N(R.sub.a31)(R.sub.a32), --S(.dbd.O).sub.n6 N(R.sub.a31)(R.sub.a32), --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a33)N(R.sub.a31)(R.sub.a32), provided that the total number of carbon atoms contained in X.sub.a2 and X.sub.a3 is at least 6;
- Z.sub.a3 represents a direct bond or a divalent aliphatic group in which the number of atoms in the chain between X.sub.a2 and X.sub.a3 is 7 or less;
- R.sub.a36 represents --C(.dbd.O) R.sub.a34, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n7 R.sub.a34 or --P(.dbd.O)--(R.sub.a34)(R.sub.a35);
- R.sub.a31 represents --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a34, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n7 R.sub.a34, --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a34)(R.sub.a35), or an aliphatic or aromatic group;
- R.sub.a34 represents an aliphatic, aromatic, aliphatic oxy, aromatic oxy, aliphatic amino or aromatic amino group;
- R.sub.a35 represents an aliphatic, aromatic, aliphatic oxy or aromatic oxy group;
- n6 represents 1 or 2;
- n7 represents 1 or 2;
- R.sub.a32 represents a hydrogen atom, a heterocyclic group, or a group defined as R.sub.a31 ;
- R.sub.a33 represents an aliphatic, aromatic, aliphatic oxy or aromatic oxy group;
- when Z.sub.a3 represents a bonding hand, the compound may form a dimer or higher polymer via R.sub.a31 or R.sub.a32 ;
- and 5- to 8-membered ring(s), excluding a 2,2,6,6-tetraalkylpiperidine ring, may be formed by combining R.sub.a36 with R.sub.a32, or R.sub.a31 with R.sub.a32 ;
- and with the further proviso that when both X.sub.a2 and X.sub.a3 are --C(.dbd.O)N(R.sub.a31)(R.sub.a32), the compounds where Z.sub.a3 represents methylene or a monosubstituted methylene are excluded;
- ##STR62## wherein R.sub.a2 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a41, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n8 R.sub.a41 or --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a41)(R.sub.a42), R.sub.a3 represents --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a41, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n9 R.sub.a41 or --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a41)(R.sub.a42) and R.sub.a4 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a43 or --S(.dbd.O).sub.n9 R.sub.a43, provided that the total number of carbon atoms contained in R.sub.a21, R.sub.a3 and R.sub.a4 is at least 8;
- Z.sub.a4 represents --O-- or --S--;
- R.sub.a41 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic amino group or an aromatic amino group;
- R.sub.a42 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group or an aromatic oxy group;
- R.sub.a43 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic amino group or an aromatic amino group;
- n8 represents 1 or 2;
- and n9 represents 1 or 2;
- and a 5- to 8-membered ring, excluding a 2,2,6,6-tetraalkylpiperidine ring, may be formed by combining R.sub.a2 with R.sub.a3 ;
- and which may form a dimer or higher polymer via R.sub.a21, R.sub.a3 or R.sub.a4 ;
- ##STR63## wherein R.sub.a5 represents --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a51, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n10 R.sub.a51, or --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a51)(R.sub.a52);
- R.sub.a6 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, or one of the groups defined as R.sub.a5 ;
- R.sub.a7 represents a halogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, a nitro group, a cyano group, --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a53, or --S(.dbd.O).sub.n11 R.sub.a53 ;
- n1 represents an integer from 1 to 3 and n2 represents 0 or an integer from 1 to 4, provided that the sum of n1 and n2 is 6 or less;
- when n1 and n2 are 2 or more, R.sub.a5 's, R.sub.a6 's and R.sub.a7 's each are the same or different;
- R.sub.a51 and R.sub.a53 are the same or different, each being an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic amino group, or an aromatic amino group;
- R.sub.a52 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group, or an aromatic oxy group;
- n10 and n11 each represent 1 or 2;
- a 5- to 8-membered ring may be formed by combining R.sub.a5 with R.sub.a6 ;
- and when n2 is 2 or more, two adjacent R.sub.a7 's may combine with each other to form a 5- to 8-membered ring, and which may form a dimer or higher polymer via R.sub.a5 or R.sub.a7 ;
- ##STR64## wherein R.sub.a8 and R.sub.a9 are the same or different, each being a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, --C(.dbd.O)R.sub.a61, --S(.dbd.O).sub.n12 R.sub.a61 or --P(.dbd.O)(R.sub.a61)(R.sub.a62), provided that the total number of carbon atoms contained in R.sub.a8 and R.sub.a9 is at least 6;
- Z.sub.a5 represents nonmetal atoms completing a 5- to 8-membered hetero ring together with the two nitrogen atoms;
- R.sub.a61 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic amino group, or an aromatic amino group;
- and R.sub.a62 represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, an aliphatic oxy group, or an aromatic oxy group, and which may form a dimer or higher polymer via R.sub.a8 or R.sub.a9 ;
- ##STR65## wherein R.sub.b1, R.sub.b2 and R.sub.b3 are the same or different, each being an aliphatic group or an aromatic group;
- Y.sub.b1, Y.sub.b2 and Y.sub.b3 each represent --O--, --S--, or --N(R.sub.b4)--;
- m1, m2, m3 and q each represent 0 or 1, excluding compounds where m1=m2=m3=1 when q=1, and compounds where m1=m2=m3=0 when q=0;
- R.sub.b4 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, or an aromatic group;
- any two among R.sub.b1, R.sub.b2 and R.sub.b3 may combine with each other to complete a 5- to 9-membered ring together with the phosphorus atom, wherein the case of m1=m2=m3=1 is allowed;
- and further, R.sub.b4 may combine with R.sub.b1, R.sub.b2 or R.sub.b3 to form a 5- or 6-membered ring.