Crystal Violet

Specifications

Purity

≥88% (dye content)

Identity

IR

Appearance

Dark green powder

Properties

Melting Point

205 °C (dec.) (lit.)

Solvents

water, chloroform, ethanol

Downloads

Safety Data Sheet

CDX C0252 MSDS.pdf

Handling Advice

Protect from light and moisture.

Use / Stability

Stable for at least 2 years after receipt when stored at RT.

Long Term Storage

RT

Short Term Storage

RT

Shipping

AMBIENT

Transportation

Packing Group III

RIDADR

UN3077 9

Signal word

Danger

GHS Symbol

GHS05+GHS07+GHS09

Precautionary statements

P273-P280-P305 + P351 + P338-P501

Hazard statements

H302-H318-H351-H410

Description

Crystal Violet is used as an acid-base indicator. When dissolved in water, the dye has a blue-violet colour with an absorbance maximum at 590nm and an extinction coefficient of 87,000 M?1 cm?1. The colour of the dye depends on the acidity of the solution. At a pH of >1.0, the dye is green with absorption maxima at 420nm and 620nm, while in a strongly acidic solution the dye is yellow with an absorption maximum at 420nm. Spectral data: UV/Visible Absorbance: λ max (water) 584-590nm. Crystal violet is used as an active component, primary stain, of Gram stain for differentiation of Gram-negative versus Gram-positive bacteria. It has been used to check cell viability, for the staining of cells to study cell migration, invasion and cell viability and as a nontoxic DNA stain for DNA visualization in agarose gels. Solutions containing crystal violet and formalin are often used to simultaneously fix and stain cells grown in tissue culture to preserve them and make them easily visible, since most cells are colourless. Crystal violet has antibacterial, antifungal, antihelminthic, antitrypanosomal, antiangiogenic, and antitumor properties. It has shown to calcium-dependent uncouple oxidative phosphorylation. It is used to dye paper, as a component of navy blue and black inks, ball-point pens and inkjet printers. It is also used to colourize diverse products such as fertilizers, antifreezes and detergents. In forensics, gentian violet was used to develop fingerprints.

References

(1) E.Q. Adams & L. Rosenstein, JACS 36, 1452 (1914) , (2) C.E. Hoffmann & O. Rahn, J. Bacteriol. 47, 177 (1944) , (3) H.L. Chance, Stain Technol. 27, 253 (1952) , (4) W.H. Clarke & I.G. Maddocks, Stain Technol. 38, 252 (1963) , (5) M.K. Tolba & A.M. Saleh, Arch. Mikrobiol. 47, 201 (1963) , (6) E. Adams, Stain Technol. 50, 227 (1975) , (7) W. Au, et al., Mutat. Res. 58, 269 (1978) , (8) L.P. Wakelin, et al., Biochemistry 20, 5779 (1981) , (9) S.N. Moreno, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263, 12493 (1988) , (10) R. Docampo & S.N. Moreno, Drug Metab. Rev. 22, 161 (1990) (Review) , (11) W.J. Bodziak, Forensic Sci. Int. 82, 45 (1996) , (12) Y. Yang, et al., Electrophoresis 22, 855 (2001) , (13) R. Coico, et al., Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. Appendix 3-3C (2005) , (14) V.S. Sukumaran & A. Ramalingam, Spectrochim. Acta A Mol. Biomol. Spectrosc. 63, 673 (2006) , (15) A.M. Maley, et al., Exp. Dermatol. 22, 775 (2013) (Review) , (16) M. Feoktistova, et al., Cold Spring Harb. Protoc. 2016, pdb.prot087379 (2016)

InChi Key

ZXJXZNDDNMQXFV-UHFFFAOYSA-M

Smiles

CN(C)C1=CC=C(/C(C2=CC=C(N(C)C)C=C2)=C3C=C/C(C=C/3)=[N+](C)/C)C=C1.[Cl-]