Dye Suitability: (nb. many images here use the CHIME plugin available from MDL)

For a dye to be suitable, it needs at absorb in the nIR region at about 820nm and have a poor thermal conductivity to ensure that the heating effect is very localised. It is preferred if the dyes are readily soluble in an organic solvent that will not attack the polycarbonate substrate for easy application, but if the dye is water soluble this can cause stability problems in air.

The following dyes are considered as possibilities for CD-R:
1) Methine Derivatives (Cyanines)
2) Phthalolcyanine Derivatives
3) Quinoid Polynuclear Aromatics

There are other nIR absorbing dyes, but these are the most popular due to their superior stability and solubility properties