Violanthrone, also known as dibenzanthrone, is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

that serves as a

vat dye Vat dyes are a class of dyes that are classified as such because of the method by which they are applied. Vat dyeing is a process that refers to dyeing that takes place in a bucket or vat. The original vat dye is indigo, once obtained only from p ...

and a precursor to other vat dyes.

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...

confirms that the molecule is planar with C_2v

symmetry Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definit ...

. Isomeric with violanthrone is isoviolanthrone, which has a centrosymmetric structure.

Synthesis

It is produced by coupling of two molecules of

benzanthrone Benzanthrone (BZA) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a yellow solid. Its derivatives are used as a dyestuff intermediate for anthraquinone-based dyes. Dehydrogenative coupling gives violanthrone. It is prepared by reduction of anthroq ...

.Heinrich Zollinger, Color Chemistry: Syntheses, Properties, and Applications of Organic Dyes and Pigments, 3rd edition, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2003, , p. 291 : Synthesis Violanthrone V2

References

{{Reflist Fluorescent dyes Ketones Polycyclic aromatic compounds