Curable composition and image forming material containing the same

1. A curable composition comprising:

(A) an infrared absorber which is a cyanine dye having a structure in which hetero rings are bonded to each other via a methine chain and which has at least one substituent represented by the following formula (T-3):

wherein R 13 represents a monovalent organic group, on at least one of aromatic rings at both ends, nitrogen atoms present on the hetero rings at both ends and the methine chain;

(B) at least one of a radical generator and an acid generator; and

(C) at least one of a radical polymerizable compound and an acid crosslinking agent.

2. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cyanine dye is represented by the following formula (I):

wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group; Ar 1 and Ar 2 each independently represents an optionally substituted aromatic group or heterocyclic group; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom, a dialkylmethylene group having not more than 12 carbon atoms or a —CH═CH— group; Q represents a pentamethine group or a heptamethine group; and X − represents an anion, provided that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , Ar 1 , Ar 2 and Q has at least one substituent having the structure represented by (T-3).

3. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cyanine dye is represented by the following formula (II):

wherein R 1 and R2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group; Ar 1 and Ar 2 each independently represents an optionally substituted aromatic group or heterocyclic group; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom, a dialkylmethylene group having not more than 12 carbon atoms or a —CH═CH— group; X − represents an anion; R 3 , R 4 , R 7 , and R 8 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group; and R 5 and R 6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group and may be taken together to form a ring structure; and R 9 and R 10 each independently represents a monovalent organic group and may be taken together to form a ring structure, provided that at least one of R 1 to R 10 , Ar 1 and Ar 2 has at least one substituent having the structure represented by (T-3).

4. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cyanine dye is represented by the following formula (III):

wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group; Ar 1 and Ar 2 each independently represents an optionally substituted aromatic group or heterocyclic group; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom, a dialkylmethylene group having not more than 12 carbon atoms or a —CH═CH— group; X − represents an anion; n represents 1 or 2; and Ar 3 and Ar 4 each independently represents an optionally substituted aromatic group or heterocyclic group, provided that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , Ar 1 , Ar 2 , Ar 3 and Ar 4 has at least one substituent having the structure represented by (T-3).

5. An image forming material comprising a support and a recording layer containing:

(A) an infrared absorber which is a cyanine dye having a structure in which hetero rings are bonded to each other via a methine chain and which has at least one substituent having a structure represented by the following formula (T-3):

wherein R 13 represents a monovalent organic group, on at least one of aromatic rings at both ends, nitrogen atoms present on the hetero rings at both ends and the methine chain;

(B) at least one of a radical generator and an acid generator; and

(C) at least one of a radical polymerizable compound and an acid crosslinking agent.