High-capacity storage media

An optical recording medium comprising a substrate, a reflecting layer and a recording layer, wherein this recording layer consists essentially of one or more dyes of the formula (I) ##STR62## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 independently of one another are hydrogen, unsubstituted or mono- or poly-halo-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkoxy-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkylthio-, --NO.sub.2 --, --CN--, --NR.sub.12 R.sub.13 --, --COO.sup.- --, --COOH, --COO--C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl-, SO.sub.3.sup.- --, --SO.sub.3 H-- or --SO.sub.3 --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl-substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkenyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkynyl or unsubstituted or mono- or poly-C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkoxy-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkylthio-, -halo-, --NO.sub.2 --, --CN--, --NR.sub.12 R.sub.13 --, SO.sub.3.sup.- --, --SO.sub.3 R.sub.12 --, --SO.sub.2 NR.sub.12 R.sub.13 --, --COO.sup.- --, --COOR.sub.12 --, --CONR.sub.12 R.sub.13 --, --PO.sub.3.sup.- --, --PO(OR.sub.12)(OR.sub.13)-- or --SiR.sub.14 R.sub.15 R.sub.16 -substituted C.sub.7 -C.sub.18 aralkyl or C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 aryl, wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.6 and R.sub.2 and R.sub.7 are not each both simultaneously hydrogen, and where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 and R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 independently of one another, each in pairs, are separate or, if they contain substitutable sites, can be connected to one another in such a way, via a direct bond or via a bridge --O-- or --NR.sub.12 --, as to form with the shared N.sup.+ a five- or six-membered heterocycle;

• R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.8, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 independently of one another are hydrogen, halogen, OR.sub.17, SR.sub.17, NO.sub.2, NR.sub.18 R.sub.19 or unsubstituted or mono- or poly-halo-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkoxy-, --C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkylthio-, --NO.sub.2 --, --CN-- or --NR.sub.18 R.sub.19 -substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkynyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.18 aralkyl, R.sub.1 and R.sub.3, R.sub.2 and R.sub.4, R.sub.6 and R.sub.8 and R.sub.7 and R.sub.9 independently of one another, each in pairs, are separate or, if both in each case contain at least one substitutable site, are connected to one another in such a way, via a direct bond or via a bridge --O-- or --NR.sub.20 --, as to form a five- or six-membered heterocycle with the shared group C--C.dbd.N.sup.+, C.dbd.C--N or C--C--N,
• or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 or independently thereof, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 together are 1,4-buta-1,3-dienylene which is unsubstituted or is substituted one or more times by C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkylthio, halogen, NO.sub.2, CN, NR.sub.18 R.sub.19, SO.sub.3.sup.-, SO.sub.3 R.sub.17, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.18 R.sub.19, COO.sup.-, COOR.sub.17, CONR.sub.18 R.sub.19, PO.sub.3.sup.-, PO(OR.sub.18)(OR.sub.19) or SiR.sub.21 R.sub.22 R.sub.23, so that alone or together with the shared C.dbd.C group a six-membered aromatic ring is formed;
• R.sub.11 is hydrogen, (CH.sub.2).sub.k COO.sup.-, (CH.sub.2).sub.k COOR.sub.24, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkynyl or C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.18 aralkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted one or more times by halogen, NO.sub.2, CN, NR.sub.24 R.sub.25, SO.sub.3.sup.-, SO.sub.3 R.sub.24, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.24 R.sub.25, COO.sup.-, (CH.sub.2).sub.k OR.sub.24, (CH.sub.2).sub.k OCOR.sub.24, COOR.sub.24, CONR.sub.24 R.sub.25, OR.sub.24, SR.sub.24, PO.sub.3.sup.-, PO(OR.sub.24)(OR.sub.25) or SiR.sub.21 R.sub.22 R.sub.23 ;
• R.sub.12, R.sub.13, R.sub.17, R.sub.18, R.sub.19, R.sub.20, R.sub.24 and R.sub.25 independently of one another are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkynyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.18 aralkyl, or are C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 aryl which is unsubstituted or substituted one or more times by C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkylthio, halogen, NO.sub.2, CN, NH.sub.2, NHR.sub.21, NR.sub.21 R.sub.22, SO.sub.3.sup.-, SO.sub.3 R.sub.23, SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2, SO.sub.2 NHR.sub.21, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.21 R.sub.22, COO.sup.-, COOR.sub.23, CONH.sub.2, CONHR.sub.21, CONR.sub.21 R.sub.22, PO.sub.3.sup.-, PO(OR.sub.21)(OR.sub.22) or SiR.sub.14 R.sub.15 R.sub.16,
• or NR.sub.12 R.sub.13, NR.sub.18 R.sub.19, NR.sub.21 R.sub.22 or NR.sub.24 R.sub.25 is a five- or six-membered heterocycle which can contain an additional N or O atom and which can be substituted one or more times by C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl;
• R.sub.14, R.sub.15, R.sub.16, R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 independently of one another are C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkynyl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.18 aralkyl;
• Y is the anion of an inorganic, organic or organometallic acid, or a mixture thereof, with the proviso that
• Y is not a compound of formula, ##STR63## wherein R is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group, A is, ##STR64## and w is 1 or 2;
• Z is a proton or a metal cation, ammonium cation or phosphonium cation, or a mixture thereof;
• k is an integer from 1 to 10;
• m, n and o independently of one another are each an integer from 1 to 3;
• and
• p and q are each an integer from 0 to 4, where the relationship between o, p and q, depending on the charge of the associated substructures, is such that there is no excess positive or negative charge in formula (I).