1,2-naphthalocyanine near-infrared absorbent and recording/display materials using same

A near-infrared absorbent, comprising 1,2-naphthalocyanine derivatives having a substituent group at the .alpha.-position of each naphthalene ring as represented by the formula (II):

• ##STR11## wherein the naphthalene rings represented by A, B, C and D are, independently, substituted with 0-5 substituents selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, monoalkylamino, dialkylamino, aryl, aryloxy, arylthio, arylamino groups and halogen atoms;
• any two adjacent substituents on a naphthalene ring may be bonded to form a ring;
• Met is two hydrogen atoms, a divalent metal atom, a monosubstituted trivalent metal atom, a disubstituted tetravelent metal atom or an oxymetal group;
• Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2, Y.sup.3, Y.sup.4, independently, are alkyl groups, alkoxyl groups, aryloxy groups, alkylthio groups, arylthio groups and aralkyl groups;
• and each of these substituent groups may be substituted with one or more halogen atoms, alkoxyl groups, alkoxyalkoxyl groups, aryloxy groups, alkylthio groups, arylthio groups or cycloalkyl groups.