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/əˈnaɪlɪn/
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/əˈnaɪlɪn/
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/əˈnaɪ.lɪn/
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/əˈnaɪ.lɪn/
Plural
anilines
Aniline is a colorless, oily, toxic organic compound with a distinctive sweet, chloroform-like odor; it's the simplest aromatic amine and serves as a foundational building block for dyes, drugs, plastics, and rubber chemicals. Think of it as the 'grandfather molecule' behind the first synthetic dye—mauveine—discovered in 1856, which launched the modern chemical industry.
Aniline is commonly used as a precursor in the manufacture of polyurethane foams.
Workers handling aniline must wear protective gear due to its high toxicity and skin-absorption risk.
The accidental oxidation of aniline in William Perkin's lab led to the discovery of mauveine, the world's first synthetic dye.
Aniline reacts readily with nitrous acid to form benzenediazonium chloride, a key intermediate in azo dye synthesis.
Environmental monitoring often tests for aniline contamination near industrial sites that produce rubber or pharmaceuticals.
anil
Comes from the Arabic word 'al-nil' (via Spanish/Portuguese 'anil'), meaning 'indigo dye'. It entered European languages in the 16th–17th centuries referring to the indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) and its blue dye. The chemical compound aniline was first isolated from indigo in 1826, hence its name. Examples include anil (archaic term for indigo), aniline, anilinism (historical term for aniline poisoning), and anilide.