Oxidation of phenosafranin and an excess of aniline gave a novel hydroxylated derivative of pseudo-mauveine. N-Methyl-p-toluidine and bis (4-methylphenyl) amine are efficient building blocks for making mauveine-related chromophores. Their oxidation with K2Cr2O7 is believed to form nitrogen centred radicals which then couple with an aromatic amine by homolytic aromatic substitution of hydrogen. The N-methyl substituent and the p-methyl ...
