Dipyrromethene metal chelate compounds

An optical recording medium having at least a recording layer and a reflective layer on a substrates, the said recording layer contains a dipyrromethene metal chelate compound obtained from a dipyrromethene compound represented by the general formula (1) and a metal ion: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.7 are defined in the specification.

What is claimed is:

1. A dipyrromethene metal chelate compound represented by formula (4) ##STR161## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 and 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, 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, 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(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms; and 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 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(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl 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; but R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 do not form an aromatic ring.

2. A dipyrromethene metal chelate compound represented by formula (5) ##STR162## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 and 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, 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, 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(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms; and 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 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(alkoxyalkyl)aminocarbonyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms; and R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 may bond to each other to form an aromatic ring; but R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 do not form an aromatic ring.