Photographically useful materials are disclosed comprising a hyperbranched
polymer segment and multiple pendant photographically useful groups. Such materials may be prepared by forming an active hyperbranched
polymer segment with multiple functionalized
end group sites, and reacting the active hyperbranched
polymer segment with an
active compound comprising a photographically useful group to form a hyperbranched polymer ended with photographically useful groups. The hyperbranched segment may comprise any kind of polymer segment with hyperbranched architecture, and the active end groups may comprise any kind of
reactive site. The active hyperbranched polymer may comprise any kind of other functional groups which are located in either backbone or the ends. The
hyperbranched polymers containing photographically useful groups obtained in accordance with the invention are particularly advantageous in that they enable polymer structures comprising components exhibiting different photographically useful properties, while maintaining relatively low intrinsic viscosities compared to non-
hyperbranched polymers containing photographically useful groups of similar chemical compositions. Additionally, the
hyperbranched polymers are advantageous with respect to
dendrimer type polymers in that a wide variety of hyperbranched polymer compositions may be synthesized in accordance with commercially acceptable processes.