The discovery, design and synthesis of new organic molecules and understanding the intricate mechanisms by which they interact leads to exciting advances in silver halide and digital imaging technology. Imaging chemicals are complex multifunctional molecules often requiring highly selective functional group transformations of several iterations. State of the art design techniques and synthetic methodologies are employed by Kodak scientists to arrive at the desired target structures. Research in synthetic organic chemistry involves both long range exploratory research and mission oriented research.

The synthesis of new organic materials ranges from milligrams to metric tons. Discovery phase of research involves modern tools such as combinatorial chemistry in which multiple reactions can be carried out on solid phase supports or in solution in a parallel fashion followed by automation, purification and characterization. Quantitative Structure/reactivity relationships are generously used to design novel compounds. On larger scale, process development using experimental design is used for optimization of multi-kilogram syntheses, leading to commercialization.

Organic chemists thrive in a highly interdisciplinary and team environment. Understanding the function and interactions of complicated molecules is accomplished by physical organic chemists. From measuring reaction rates to calculating excited states, important mechanistic information is vital to the design of improved imaging chemistry. Large molecules are studied by computational science, molecular modeling and x-ray diffraction to understand how their structure can effect their performance.

The characterization of organic compounds is supported by state-of-the-art analytical facilities for high pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectrophotometry.

Color print and Color slide films require the design of dyes to spectrally sensitize silver halide, image forming couplers, stabilizers for improved image stability, organic reducing agents, organic oxidizing agents, ultraviolet filter dyes which remain in the film or paper, filter dyes that are removed during processing and accelerators and inhibitors of silver development. In addition to these materials color negative film requires color masking image formers, and image modifying chemistry. All these materials have to be optimized for performance and incorporated into the gelatin matrix of photography conforming to specific solubility properties.

Thermal dye transfer and ink jet printing systems are capable of producing very high quality images directly from digital files. Novel dyes have been designed that will work in these systems and yet provide the color and stability of traditional photographs.

High quality digital color proofing systems for the printing industry are based on Kodak’s laser dye transfer technology. Specially designed dyes match the colors of the printing inks and convert laser light to heat.

"Invisible" dyes will allow the embedding of additional information ("metadata") into photographs that will prevent misuse of copyrighted images, enable images to be readily sorted and even provide sound bites for the viewer.

More recently, organic light emitting diode ( OLED) materials are emerging as potential replacements for flat-screen displays in future electronic products.