An optical recording medium, comprising a substrate, a recording layer and a reflecting layer, where the recording layer comprises at least one dye of formula ##STR19## wherein A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 are each independently of the other C(CH.sub.3).sub.2, O, S, Se, or CH.dbd.CH which is unsubstituted or substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or benzyl;
- M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 are each independently of the other Cr.sup.3+ or Co.sup.3+ ;
- L.sub.1 and L.sub.1 ' are each independently of the other a ligand dianion of formula ##STR20## L.sub.2 and L.sub.2 ' are each independently of the other and independently of L.sub.1 and L.sub.1 ' a ligand dianion of formula ##STR21## m is a number from 0.2 to 1.0;
- and n, depending on m, is a number from 0.0 to 0.8, so that the sum of m and n equals 1.0;
- p and q are each independently of the other 0 or 1;
- Q is CR.sub.15, CR.sub.15 --CR.sub.16 .dbd.CR.sub.17 or CR.sub.15 --CR.sub.16 .dbd.CR.sub.17 --CR.sub.18 .dbd.CR.sub.19 ;
- R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently of the other C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkenyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy or cyano, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.20, or by R.sub.20 and R.sub.21 ;
- R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.13 and R.sub.14 are each independently of one another hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, NHR.sub.22, NRR.sub.23, CONH.sub.2, CONHR.sub.22, CONR.sub.22 R.sub.23, SO.sub.2 C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2, SO.sub.2 NHR.sub.22, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.22 R.sub.23, COOH, COOR.sub.24, NHCOR.sub.25, NR.sub.24 COR.sub.25, NHCOOR.sub.25, NR.sub.24 COOR.sub.25, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkylthio or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or cyano;
- or
- R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 and/or R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 together are 1,4-buta-1,3-dienylene which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.26, or by R.sub.26 and R.sub.27, so that naphthyl is formed with the shared phenyl;
- R.sub.15, R.sub.16, R.sub.17, R.sub.18 and R.sub.19 are each independently of one another hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 -alkoxy;
- C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl or NR.sub.22 R.sub.23, each of which is unsubsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or cyano;
- or
- R.sub.15 and R.sub.17, R.sub.16 and R.sub.18 or R.sub.17 and R.sub.19 together are ethylene, ethylidene, propylene, propylidene, o-phenylene, .alpha.,2-benzylidene or 1,8-naphthylidene, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.26, or by R.sub.26 and R.sub.27 ;
- R.sub.20 and R.sub.2, are each independently of the other hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, NHR.sub.22, NR.sub.22 R.sub.23, CONH.sub.2, CONHR.sub.22, CONR.sub.22 R.sub.23, SO.sub.2 C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2, SO.sub.2 NHR.sub.22,
- SO.sub.2 NR.sub.22 R.sub.23, COOH, COOR.sub.24, NHCOR.sub.25, NR.sub.24 COR.sub.25, NHCOOR.sub.25, NR.sub.24 COOR.sub.25, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkylthio or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or cyano;
- R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 are each independently of the other C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 alkenyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.28, or by R.sub.28 and R.sub.27 ;
- or
- R.sub.22 and R.sub.23, together with the linking nitrogen atom, are pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine or morpholine, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by one to four C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, or carbazole, phenoxazine or phenothiazine, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.26, or by R.sub.26 and R.sub.27 ;
- R.sub.24 and R.sub.25 are each independently of the other C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 alkenyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by R.sub.26, or by R.sub.26 and R.sub.27 ;
- R.sub.26 and R.sub.27 are each independently of the other halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, NR.sub.28 R.sub.29, CONH.sub.2, CONHR.sub.28, CONR.sub.28 R.sub.29, SO.sub.2 C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.28 R.sub.29, COOH, COOR.sub.30, NHCOR.sub.31, NHCOOR.sub.31, NR.sub.30 COR.sub.31, NR.sub.30 COOR.sub.31, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen;
- R.sub.28 and R.sub.29 are each independently of the other hydrogen, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl;
- C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 -alkyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 alkenyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy;
- or
- R.sub.28 and R.sub.29, together with the linking nitrogen atom, are pyrrolidine, piperidine, piperazine or morpholine, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted by one to four C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, or carbazole, phenoxazine or phenothiazine;
- and
- R.sub.30 and R.sub.31 are each independently of the other C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 aralkyl;
- C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 alkenyl, each of which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkoxy.