Quirks of dye nomenclature. 5. Rhodamines

Abstract

Rhodamines were first produced in the late 19^th century, when they constituted a new class of synthetic dyes. These compounds since have been used to color many things including cosmetics, inks, textiles, and in some countries, food products. Certain rhodamine dyes also have been used to stain biological specimens and currently are widely used as fluorescent probes for mitochondria in living cells. The early history and current biological applications are sketched briefly and an account of the ambiguities, complications and confusions concerning dye identification and nomenclature are discussed.

Key words::

• 19th century dye
• fluorescent dyes
• laser dyes

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this paper.