Abstract: An optical recording medium composed of a base material and a laser light sensitive layer which contains an azulenium dye as storage material with or without a binder is obtainable by spin-coating a solution containing an azulenium dye of the formula ##STR1## where R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl which may be substituted or unsubstituted, and n is 1, 2 or 3, with or without a binder and one or more solvents which have evaporation numbers of not less than 4 and in which an azulenium dye of the abovementioned formula has a solubility of not less than 5 g/l onto a transparent base material based on a plastics material or glass.

Abstract: Pigments of the general formulaF.multidot.Het (I)where F is the cation of a cationic dye which has an absorption maximum at >700 nm and may or may not contain anionic groups and Het is an anion of a heteropolyacid based on tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium or a mixture of these with phosphorus, silicon, cobalt, aluminum, manganese, chromium, nickel or a mixture of these or a copper(I)-hexacyanoferrate(II) anion, are superior to the known IR dyes in terms of thermal stability and photostability, and give optical recording media having superior properties, such as a high signal/noise ratio.

Abstract: Tetraphenyldithiolene complexes of the formula ##STR1## and novel asymmetrically substituted benzoins of the formula ##STR2## where X.sup.1, X.sup.2 and X have the meanings stated in the description and Me is nickel, palladium or platinum. The complexes have very high absorption in the range from 800 to 950 nm and are readily soluble in the plastics used for the production of optical recording materials.The recording materials produced using these complexes have a very high signal/noise ratio.

Abstract: Pigments of the general formulaF.multidot.Het (I).where F is the cation of a cationic dye which has an absorption maximum at >700 nm and may or may not contain anionic groups and Het is an anion of a heteropolyacid based on tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium or a mixture of these with phosphorus, silicon, cobalt, aluminum, manganese, chromium, nickel or a mixture of these or a copper(I)-hexacyanoferrate(II) anion, are superior to the known IR dyes in terms of thermal stability and photostability, and give optical recording media having superior properties, such as a high signal/noise ratio.

Abstract: Novel 2H-v-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines of the general formula ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently of one another are each alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenyl or phenalkyl, or ##STR2## is a saturated 5-membered or 6-membered heterocyclic ring, X is alkyl, halogen or phenyl n is 0, 1 or 2, and A is ##STR3## hydrogen, halogen, cyano, thiocyano, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, unsubstituted or substituted phenoxy, phenylalkoxy, alkylthio, phenylthio, --S--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --COO-alkyl, where m is from 1 to 4, alkylcarbonyl, benzoyl, carboxyl, carboalkoxy, alkylsulfonyl, phenylsulfonyl, an N-imidazole, benzimidazole, 1,2,3-triazole, benzotriazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptothiazole or 2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole radical, or a radical of the formula ##STR4## where R.sup.4 is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, p is from 2 to 5 and R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are each C.sub.1 -C.sub.

Abstract: Dithiolene complexes of the formula ##STR1## where Me is nickel, palladium or platinum, and <A is ##STR2## are readily soluble in organic solvents and have a high absorption in the range from 750 to 850 nm and are therefore very useful for optical recording media.The complexes may furthermore be used as antioxidants, stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors or catalysts, or as protective layers for colored photographic layers.