Rewriteable optical recording material having good solubility

1. A polymeric material the molecular structure of which contains main chains and side chains, the main chain including units derived a member selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyacrylamide, polymethacrylamide, polysiloxane, polyurea, polyurethane, polyester, polystyrene and cellulose, and the side chains containing

a) at least one azobenzene dye-containing monomer selected from the group consisting of

 or an azobenzene dye conforming to formula (I)

 wherein

 R 1 and R 2 independently of one another denote hydrogen or a non-ionic substituent and

 m and n independently of one another denote an integer from 0 to 4,

 —X 1 and —X 2 independently from one another denote at least one member selected from the group consisting of —S 1 —T 1 —(Q 1 ) 1 —X 1′ — and a member selected from the group consisting of —X 1′ —R 3 , hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, CF 3 and CCl 3

 wherein

 Q 1 denotes —O—, —S—, —(N—R 5 )—, —C(R 6 R 7 )—, —(C═O)—, —(CO—O)—, —(CO—NR 5 )—, —(SO 2 )—, —(SO 2 —O)—, —(SO 2 NR 5 )—, —(C═NR 8 )—, —(CNR 8 —NR 5 )—, —(CH 2 ) p —, para- or meta —C 6 H 4 — or a divalent radical of the formulae

 i denotes an integer from 0 to 4,

 T 1 denotes —(CH 2 ) p —, wherein the chain may be interrupted by —O—, —NR 9 , or —OSiR 10 2 O—,

 S 1 denotes a direct bond, —O—, —S— or —NR 9 —,

 p denotes an integer from 2 to 12,

 R 9 denotes hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl,

 R 10 denotes methyl or ethyl,

 X 1′ denotes a direct bond, —O—, —S—, —(NR 5 )—, —C(R 6 R 7 )—, —(C═O)—, —(CO—O)—,(CO—NR 5 )—, —(SO 2 )—, —(SO 2 —O)—, —(SO 2 —NR 5 )—, —(C═NR 8 )— or —(CNR 8 —NR 5 )—,

 R 3 , R 5 and R 8 independently of one another denote hydrogen, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl, C 6 –C 10 -aryl, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(C═O)—, C 3 –C 10 cycloalkyl-(C═O)—, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl-(C═O)—, C 6 –C 10 -aryl-(C═O)—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(SO 2 )—, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl-(SO 2 )—, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl-(SO 2 )— or C 6 –C 10 -aryl-(SO 2 )—,

 and R 6 and R 7 independently of one another denote hydrogen, halogen, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl, C 1 –C 20 -alkoxy, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl or C 6 –C 10 -aryl,

b) at least one form anisotropic grouping conforming to formula (III)

 wherein

 Z denotes a radical of the formulae

 wherein

 A denotes O, S or N—C 1 –C 4 -alkyl,

 X 3 denotes a spacer group of the formula —X 3′ —(Q 2 ) 1 —T 2 —S 2 —,

 X 4 denotes a member selected from the group consisting of X 4′ —R 13 , hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, CF 3 and CCl 3 ,

 X 3′ and X 4′ independently of one another denote a direct bond, —O—, —S—, —(NR 5 )—, —C(R 6 R 7 )—, —(C═O)—, —(CO—O)—, —(CO—NR 5 )—, —(SO 2 )—, —(SO 2 —O)—, —(SO 2 —NR 5 )—, —(C═NR 8 )— or —(CNR 8 —NR 5 )—,

 R 5 , R 8 and R 13 independently of one another denote hydrogen, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl, C 6 –C 10 -aryl, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(C═O)—, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl-C═O)—, C 6 –C 10 -aryl-(C═O)—, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl-(C═O)—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(SO 2 )—, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl-(SO 2 )—, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl-(SO 2 )— or C 6 –C 10 -aryl-(S 2 )—, or

 R 6 and R 7 independently of one another denote hydrogen, halogen, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl, C 1 –C 20 -alkoxy, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl or C 6 –C 10 -aryl,

 Y denotes a single bond, —COO—, OCO—, —CONH—, —NHCO—, —CON(CH 3 )—, —N(CH 3 )CO—, —O—, —NH— OR —N(CH 3 )—,

 R 11 , R 12 , R 15 independently of one another denote hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl, C 1 –C 20 -alkoxy, phenoxy, C 3 –C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 2 –C 20 -alkenyl or C 6 –C 10 -aryl, C 1–C 20 -alkyl-(C═O)—, C 6 –C 10 aryl-(C═O)—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(SO 2 )—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(C═O)—O—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-(C═O)—NH—, C 6 –C 10 -aryl-(C═O)—NH—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-O—(C═O)—, C 1 –C 20 -alkyl-NH—(C═O)— or C 8 –C 10 -aryl-NH—(C═O)—,

 q, r and s independently of one another denote an integer from 0 to 4,

 Q 2 denotes —O—, —S—, (NR 5 )—, —C(R 6 R 7 )—, —(C═O)—, —(CO—O)—, —(CO—NR 5 )—, —(SO 2 )—, —(SO 2 —O)—, —(S 2 —NR 5 )—, —(C═NR 8 )—, —(CNR 8 —NR 5 )—, —(CH 2 ) p —, para- or metha-C 6 H 4 — or a divalent radical of the formulae

 j denotes an integer from 0 to 4, wherein for j>1 the individual Q 2 may differ one from the others,

 T 2 denotes —(CH 2 ) p —, wherein the chain may be interrupted by —O—, —NR 9 —, or —OSiR 10 2 O—,

 S 2 denotes a direct bond, —O—, —S— or —NR 9 —,

 p denotes an integer from 2 to 12,

 R 9 denotes hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl,

 R 10 denotes methyl or ethyl

 with the proviso that the side chains contain at least one member selected from the group consisting of

c1) azobenzene dye of formula (I) where at least one of Q 1 , X 1′ , X 3′ and X 4′ are NR 5 , CONR 5 , SO 2 NR 5 , or CNR 8 —NR 5 and R 5 denotes C 2 –C 10 -alkyl-OH or CH 2 —(CH—OH)—CH 2 —OH and

c2) monomer conforming to (VI) and/or (VIa)

 wherein

 R′ and R″ independently of one another denote C n H 2n+1 or C n H 2n —OH, where n=1 to 10, or together denote a —C n H 2n -bridge where n=2 to 6, a —(C 2 H 4 O) n —C 2 H 4 -bridge, where n=1 to 5, or a —C 2 H 4 —N(C n H 2n+1 )—C 2 H 4 -bridge where n=1 to 6, and R=H or methyl, and

 wherein

R′″ denotes the radical —C n H 2n —OH where n=1 to 10, the radical —(C 2 H 4 —O) n —H where n=2 to 4, or the radical —C n H 2n —C(═O)NR″″′R″″ where n=2 to 10, where R″″ and R′″″ either independently of one another denote C n H 2n+1 or C n H 2n —OH, where N=1 to 10, or together denote a —C n H 2n -bridge where n=2 to 6, a —(C 2 H 4 —O) n —C 2 H 4 -bridge, where n=1 to 5, or a —C 2 H 4 —N(C n H 2n+1 )—C 2 H 4 -bridge where n=1 to 6, and R=H or methyl.

2. The polymeric material of claim 1 wherein side chains further include d) at least one monomer unit that is incorporated to achieve a specific reduction of the dye content and/or mesogene content in the material.

3. The polymeric material of claim 1 characterized in that the dye of formula (I) and the anisotropic groups of formula (III) are covalently bonded to the main polymer chain via flexible spacers.

4. The polymeric material of claim 1 wherein R 5 of formula (I) denotes C 2 –C 10 -alkyl OH.

5. An optical recording medium comprising the polymeric material of claim 1 in the form of a layer or a film.