Provide is an optical data storage medium comprising a chromophore/polymer composition information layer, wherein the polymer and chromophore are chemically bound so as to improve chromophore/polymer compatibility. If necessary, the chromophore or the polymer may be modified to improve their interaction. When modification is desired, it is preferred to modify the polymer so as not to disturb the chromophore structure, which is generally selected for its absorption features. The interaction between the chromophore and polymer can be either covalent on non-covalent. The overall result is an information layer having improved chromophore/polymer compatibility.