Liebermann dyes, reaction

Some reference to the use of nitrous acid merits mention here. Primary aromatic amines yield diazonium compounds, which may be coupled with phenols to yield highly-coloured azo dyes (see Section IV,100,(iii)). Secondary aromatic amines afford nitroso compounds, which give Liebermann a nitroso reaction Section IV,100,(v). Tertiary aromatic amines, of the type of dimethylaniline, yield p-nitroso derivatives see Section IV,100,(vii). ... 

In these cases it is usually possible to explain why the color is formed. The reactions can be further classified, on the basis of the type of colored compound formed, into reactions leading to the formation of azo dyes, di- or triphenylmethane dyes, xanthene dyes, polymethine dyes, indophenols, etc. Azo dyes are formed, for example, in the reaction of diazonium salts and phenols (p. 192) or amines (p. 324), azomethines in the reaction of primary aromatic amines with aromatic aldehydes (p. 215), di- and triphenylmethane dyes in the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with aromatic hydrocarbons in concentrated sulfuric acid (p. 213), triphenylmethane dyes in the reaction of phenols with aromatic aldehydes or oxalic acid (p. 196), xanthene dyes in the reaction of anhydrides of dicarboxylic acids with resorcinol (p. 196), polymethine dyes are formed after the cleavage of the pyridine ring in the reaction of the glutaconaldehyde formed and barbituric acid (p. 378), indophenols on reaction of phenols with Gibbs reagent (p. 195), or 4-aminoantipyrine according to Emerson (p. 194), or on the Liebermann reaction (p. 195). 

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