Current developments in optical data storage with organic dyes

The main motivation for the development of digital data storage has been the improvement in play‐back quality and the increase in storage capacity. In 1982 Philips and Sony introduced the first technically and economically successful system based on this—the compact disc (CD) and a compatible player. A very broad diversity of optical data recording formats are available today, and a difference is drawn between prerecorded, recordable, and rewritable media. This Review gives an overview of the systems used, the main features of production, and then concentrates on the properties of the organic dyes that are used in recordable systems. Dyestuffs chemistry has gained the reputation of having become a mature field of activity. Is this prejudice or a justified swan song for dyestuffs chemistry? When applications in optical data storage are considered, it is evident that even today progresses such as CD‐R and DVD/R would not be feasible without functional dyes.