In a merocyanine an additional double bond enters each of the two rings of the dye in the dipolar resonance structure with> N= C (-C= C),-0. Depending on the rings paired in the dye, stabilization thus acquired may be low, or high, or have any intermediate value. If such stabilization is low, the dye has low intrinsic polarity: it will show large X,. deviations in all solvents and Am-. will tend to shift to longer wave lengths with increasing polarity of the ...