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Merck
CN

61135

Crystal Violet

suitable for microscopy

Synonym(s):

Basic Violet 3, Gentian Violet, Hexamethylpararosaniline chloride, Methyl Violet 10B

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
C25H30N3Cl
CAS Number:
548-62-9
Molecular Weight:
407.98
PubChem Substance ID:
329759365
UNSPSC Code:
12171500
NACRES:
MA.02
MDL number:
MFCD00011750
Colour Index Number:
42555
Beilstein/REAXYS Number:
3580948

Key Documents

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Product Name

Crystal Violet, suitable for microscopy

SMILES string

[Cl-].CN(C)c1ccc(cc1)\C(c2ccc(cc2)N(C)C)=C3/C=C\C(C=C3)=[N+](/C)C

InChI

1S/C25H30N3.ClH/c1-26(2)22-13-7-19(8-14-22)25(20-9-15-23(16-10-20)27(3)4)21-11-17-24(18-12-21)28(5)6;/h7-18H,1-6H3;1H/q+1;/p-1

InChI key

ZXJXZNDDNMQXFV-UHFFFAOYSA-M

form

powder

technique(s)

microbe id | staining: suitable

color

green to very dark green

visual transition interval

0.1-2.0, yellow-green to blue-violet

mp

205 °C (dec.) (lit.)

density

1.190 g/cm3

ε (extinction coefficient)

≥1750 at 585-595  nm in water

suitability

suitable for microscopy (Bact., Bot., Hist., Vit.)
suitable for microscopy

antibiotic activity spectrum

fungi

application(s)

diagnostic assay manufacturing
hematology
histology

mode of action

cell membrane | interferes
enzyme | inhibits

storage temp.

room temp

Quality Level

200

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Application

  • Crystal violet is mainly used in Gram staining and its variants, and for staining amyloid, bacterial components, and vascular plant tissues.
  • It is used in polychrome staining of epoxy resin sections, viability staining of cultured neurons, and confocal optical sectioning to analyze meiotic structures.
  • It is also employed in the acridine orange-crystal violet staining of intracellular bacteria, microsporidian spores, and cytological smears.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Gram staining is used to differentiate bacteria based on their cell wall structure. Gram-positive bacteria have a thicker cell wall with more peptidoglycan and less lipid content, while gram-negative bacteria have a thinner cell wall with less peptidoglycan and more lipid content. During the staining process, crystal violet is applied to the bacteria, followed by the iodine to form a complex that fixes the dye. A decolorizer is then used to remove the dye from gram-negative bacteria by dissolving their lipid layer. Gram-positive bacteria retain the dye due to the dehydration and shrinking of their cell walls. A counterstain, such as safranin or basic fuchsin, is applied to impart a pink color to decolorized gram-negative bacteria.
The antimicrobial properties of crystal violet are due to free radical generation and the formation of unionized dye-bacteria complexes. It inhibits bacterial protein synthesis and cell wall formation and is especially effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

General description

Crystal violet, also known as Basic Violet 3 or Gentian Violet, is a basic, cationic aminoarylmethane dye. It is the N-hexamethylated derivative of pararosaniline and bears a lipophilic cation. It is primarily used in bacteriology and microscopy as the primary stain in Gram staining to classify and distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is indicator grade, exhibiting a color transition from yellow-green in acidic conditions to blue-violet in basic conditions. It also possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties.

flash_point_f

Not applicable

signalword

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Aquatic Acute 1 - Aquatic Chronic 1 - Carc. 1B - Eye Dam. 1 - Muta. 2

Storage Class

6.1C - Combustible acute toxic Cat.3 / toxic compounds or compounds which causing chronic effects

wgk

WGK 3

flash_point_c

Not applicable

ppe

Eyeshields, Faceshields, Gloves, type P3 (EN 143) respirator cartridges

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Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Lot/Batch Number
BCCN2851
BCCL8536
BCCK6571
BCCK9044
BCCH3825

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Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice
J.A. Kiernan
Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and Practice (2015)
Klaus Hunger
Industrial Dyes: Chemistry, Properties, Applications, 47-47 (2007)
Weixiao Liu et al.
Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology, 31(3), 127-132 (2004-04-08)
One laccase-secreting engineered strain and four white-rot fungi were tested for their capacity to decolorize nine dyes that could be classified as azo, anthraquinonic and triphenylmethane dyes. Trametes versicolor was the most efficient of the tested strains under these experimental
Conn's Biological Stains
Kiernan & Horobin
Conn?s Biological Stains (2002)
Wen Yue et al.
Cancer research, 69(15), 6339-6346 (2009-07-09)
The high mortality rate of lung cancer is largely due to the spread of disease to other organs. However, the molecular changes driving lung cancer invasion and metastasis remain unclear. In this study, we identified fibulin-5, a vascular ligand for
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