Optical recording medium

An optical recording medium having at least a recording layer and a reflective layer on a substrate, said recording layer containing a dipyrromethene metal chelate compound represented by formula (2):

• ##STR161## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.7 are each independently a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, hydroxyl group, amino group, carboxyl group, sulfonic acid group, alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, halogenoalkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyoxy group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, aryloxy group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, acyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylaminocarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, dialkylaminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylcarbonylamino group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylcarbonylamino group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylaminocarbonyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, phenoxycarbonyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, heteroaryl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylthio group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylthio group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyloxycarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, aralkyloxycarbonyl group having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonylalkoxycarbonyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylcarbonylalkoxycarbonyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, mono(hydroxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, di(hydroxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, mono(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms or di(alkyoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 and/or R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 may bond to each other to form an aromatic ring fused to a pyrrole ring;
• and the fused aromatic rings formed by these groups may be the same or different and are represented by formula (a):
• ##STR162## wherein R.sup.8 to R.sup.11 are each independently a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, hydroxyl group, amino group, carboxyl group, sulfonic acid group, alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, halogenoalkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkoxy group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, aryloxy group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, acyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylaminocarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, dialkylaminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylcarbonylamino group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylcarbonylamino group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylaminocarbonylamino group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, phenoxycarbonyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, heteroaryl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylthio group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, phenylthio group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyloxycarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, aralkyloxycarbonyl group having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonylalkoxycarbonyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylcarbonylalkoxycarbonyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, mono(hydroxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, di(hydroxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, mono(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms or di(alkoxyalkyl)aminoocarbonyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 may bond to each other to form an aromatic ring;
• and M is a transition metal.