Chemical classification

A chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color. The color
arises when a molecule absorbs certain wavelengths of visible light and transmits or
reflects others. The chromophore is a region in the molecule where the energy difference
between two different molecular orbitals falls within the range of the visible spectrum.
Visible light that hits the chromophore can thus be absorbed by exciting an electron from
its ground state into an excited state. By the nature of their chromophore, dyes are
divided into:
1.

Acridine dyes: These are the derivates of acridine.

These are contain a

conjugated chromophore

(Acridine yellw)
N,N,N',N'-Tetramethylacridine-3,6-diamine
2.

(Acridine orange)
2,7-Dimethylacridine-3,6-diamine

Anthraquinone dyes: These are the derivates of anthraquinone

Auramine O
(bis[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]methaniminium chloride)
3.

Arylmethane dyes: These are two types

a.

Diarylmethane dyes: These are the based on diphenyl methane

b.

Triarylmethane dyes: These are the derivates of triphenyl methane.

Variety of this type dyes are available. Same examples are

Crystal Violet
4-[(4-dimethylaminophenyl)phenyl-methyl]-N,N-dimethyl-aniline
hydrochloride

Fuchsine
4-[(4-Aminophenyl)-(4-imino-1-cyclohexa2,5-dienylidene)methyl]aniline

Malachite green
4-[(4-dimethylaminophenyl)phenyl-methyl]-N,N-dimethylaniline
4.

Azo dyes: These are the based on -N=N- azo structure

Bismarck brown

Methyl Red

Congo red

Methyl orange

5.

Cyanine dyes: These are the derivates of phthalocyanine

6.

Diazonium dyes: These are the based on diazonium salts

7.

Nitro dyes: These are the based on a -NO2 nitro functional group

8.

Nitroso dyes: These are the based on a -N=O nitroso functional group

9.

Phthalocyanine dyes: These are the derivates of phthalocyanine

10.

Quinone-imine dyes: These are the derivates of quinone

a.

Azin dyes
i.

Eurhodin dyes

ii.

Safranin dyes, derivates of safranin

b.

Indamins

c.

Indophenol dyes: These are the derivates of indophenol

d.

Oxazin dyes: These are the derivates of oxazin

e.

Oxazone dyes: These are the derivates of oxazone

f.

Thiazin dyes: These are the derivates of thiazin

11.

Thiazole dyes: These are the derivates of thiazole

12.

Xanthene dyes: These are the derived from xanthene

a.

Fluorene dyes: These are the derivates of fluorene

i.

b.

Pyronin dyes

Fluorone dyes: These are the based on fluorone

i.

Rhodamine dyes: These are the derivates of rhodamine