Disclosed are photosensitizers that include a polyol moiety covalently bonded to a fused aromatic moiety. Also disclosed is a method for improving UV laser ablation performance of a coating, such as a cationic UV curable coating, by incorporating an oxalyl-containing additive into the cationic UV curable or other coating. Oxalyl-containing sensitizers having the formula Q-O—C(O)—C(O)—O—R1, wherein Q represents a fused aromatic moiety and R1 is an alkyl or aryl group, are also disclosed, as are oxalyl-containing oxetane resins, oxalyl-containing polyester polyols, and cationic UV curable coating formulations that include oxalyl-containing additives.