Abstract: The present invention provides a new category of information storage material, nonstoichiometric metal-organic complex Ag1−&bgr;(TCNQ), which is particularly suitable for digital video disc (DVD-R) operated by blue laser (wavelength 450 nm) or red laser (wavelength 650 nm), wherein, Ag is silver, TCNQ is tetracyano-p-quinodimethane C12H4N4, &bgr; is a parameter chosen by its performance and &bgr;≦0.4. The material can produce apparent absorption change under the incidence of the above-mentioned two different lasers. When used as optical recording medium, it has the advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio, fast response and low cost. The actual number of write-erase cycles can be larger than 20. Therefore, its performance is better than a conventional DVD-R.

Abstract: An information recording medium composed of 1) a transparent support, 2) a recording layer which is composed of an organic dye having an oxidation potential in terms of Po and an organic oxidizing agent having a reduction potential in terms of Pr in which the oxidation potential and the reduction potential satisfy the condition of 0.4V<Po−Pr<1.0V, and 3) a light-reflecting layer on the recording layer shows improved light-resistance and endurance as well as good recording and reproducing characteristics.

Abstract: An optical recording material including a substrate and a recording layer which is formed overlying the substrate, wherein the recording layer includes an azo chelate compound including an azo compound and at least one of a metal and a metal salt, and wherein the azo compound has the following formula (1):

Abstract: By keeping the imaginary number portion k of the complex index of refraction of the film of the light absorbing layer 3, the mean film thickness dav of the light absorbing layer 3, and the absorbency A related thereto within an appropriate range, the present invention provides an optical information recording medium with good recording sensitivity and playback properties, which makes possible high speed recording by increasing the sensitivity to the recording beam and stable recording with sufficient reflectivity, and which can reduce jitter. In the present invention, 0.13≦A≦0.21 where A (Abs) is the absorbency of the light absorbing layer at the wavelength of the recording beam; and 6.0≦k.dav≦12.0 where k is the imaginary number portion of the complex index of refraction of the film in the light absorbing layer and dav (nm) is the mean film thickness of the light absorbing layer, at the wavelength of the recording beam.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided in which a recording layer contains a salt-forming dye between an ion of an azo metal complex of the following formula (I) and an ion of a cyanine dye of the following formula (II), having a complex index of refraction in the wavelength region of recording light and/or reading light whose imaginary part k is up to 0.20, or at least one of azo oxovanadium metal complexes having an azo compound of the following formula (III) as a ligand and metal complexes having azo compounds of the following formulae (IV) and (V) as a ligand. Recording and reading can be carried out at a conventional wavelength or a short wavelength of about 630-690 nm or both.