A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant
This perspective sets out to raise awareness about the chemical and photophysical properties of indigo, a highly distinguished colorant with an extraordinary history. Indigo, like many other dyes, was first extracted from plants at an inordinately low yield and at great ecological expense. Such was...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Anthony Harriman |
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| description | This perspective sets out to raise awareness about the chemical and photophysical properties of indigo, a highly distinguished colorant with an extraordinary history. Indigo, like many other dyes, was first extracted from plants at an inordinately low yield and at great ecological expense. Such was its popularity that indigo was among the first natural colorants to be synthesized in a laboratory before refinement and cost reduction resulted in its economical industrial-scale production. The color of indigo is highly characteristic but difficult to describe, since it falls at the blue/violet interface. It is a small, planar molecule with an exceptionally high degree of π-electron conjugation that pushes the absorption maximum to above 600 nm. Its structure helps explain the high level of photostability enjoyed by indigo, while recent spectroscopic studies have added to our understanding of the longevity of this emblematic colorant. The reversible formation of <i>leuco</i>-indigo increases the ways in which indigo can be used to add color to objects while helping to circumvent the effects of attack by free radicals. It is stressed that the journal <i>Colorants</i> would welcome submissions that describe the chemistry and/or spectroscopy of other representative colorants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f05946e417924e8296fa6f5f351e04c6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2079-6447 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Colorants |
| spelling | doaj-art-f05946e417924e8296fa6f5f351e04c62025-08-20T03:26:56ZengMDPI AGColorants2079-64472025-03-01421210.3390/colorants4020012A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic ColorantAnthony Harriman0Molecular Photonics Laboratory, School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKThis perspective sets out to raise awareness about the chemical and photophysical properties of indigo, a highly distinguished colorant with an extraordinary history. Indigo, like many other dyes, was first extracted from plants at an inordinately low yield and at great ecological expense. Such was its popularity that indigo was among the first natural colorants to be synthesized in a laboratory before refinement and cost reduction resulted in its economical industrial-scale production. The color of indigo is highly characteristic but difficult to describe, since it falls at the blue/violet interface. It is a small, planar molecule with an exceptionally high degree of π-electron conjugation that pushes the absorption maximum to above 600 nm. Its structure helps explain the high level of photostability enjoyed by indigo, while recent spectroscopic studies have added to our understanding of the longevity of this emblematic colorant. The reversible formation of <i>leuco</i>-indigo increases the ways in which indigo can be used to add color to objects while helping to circumvent the effects of attack by free radicals. It is stressed that the journal <i>Colorants</i> would welcome submissions that describe the chemistry and/or spectroscopy of other representative colorants.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6447/4/2/12photochemistryspectroscopystability |
| spellingShingle | Anthony Harriman A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant Colorants photochemistry spectroscopy stability |
| title | A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant |
| title_full | A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant |
| title_fullStr | A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant |
| title_short | A Perspective on Indigo: An Iconic Colorant |
| title_sort | perspective on indigo an iconic colorant |
| topic | photochemistry spectroscopy stability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6447/4/2/12 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anthonyharriman aperspectiveonindigoaniconiccolorant AT anthonyharriman perspectiveonindigoaniconiccolorant |