Patent ID: 7946626

Claim:
A substrate having an IR-absorbing dye disposed thereon, said IR-absorbing dye being a metal-cyanine complex of formula (I): wherein Q 1 , Q 2 , Q 3 and Q 4 are the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of: a C 3-20 arylene group and a C 3-20 heteroarylene group; M is selected from the group consisting of: Ti(A 1 )(A 2 ), Zr(A 1 )(A 2 ), V(A 1 )(A 2 ), Si(A 1 )(A 2 ), Ge(A 1 )(A 2 ), Ga(A 1 ), Al(A 1 ), Mn(A 1 ), Fe(A 1 ), Sn(A 1 )(A 2 ) and Pb(A 1 )(A 2 ); and A 1 and A 2 may be the same or different and are axial ligands of formula (Ma) wherein: G represents a core unit having two or more branching positions; g 1 is an integer from 2 to 8; q 1 is 0 or an integer from 1 to 6; each p 1 is independently selected from 0 or an integer from 1 to 6; and each L is independently selected from the group consisting of: H; (CH 2 CH 2 O) v R 6 , wherein v is an integer from 2 to 5000 and R 6 is H, C 1-6 alkyl or C(O)C 1-8 alkyl; SO 3 Z; PO 3 Z 2 ; C 1-12 alkyl-CO 2 Z; C 1-12 alkyl-SO 3 Z; C 1-12 -alkyl-PO 3 Z 2 ; C 1-12 alkyl-OSO 3 Z; C 1-12 -alkyl-OPO 3 Z 2 ; and C 1-12 -alkyl-N + (R a )(R b )(R c ); C 1-12 alkyl-J, and wherein: Z is H, Li + , Na + , K + or NH 4 + ; R a , R b , R c may be the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of: H, C 1-8 alkyl, C 6-12 arylalkyl and C 6-12 aryl; and J is pyridinium, imidazolinium or pyrrolinium.