Aniline, << AN uh lihn, >> is a chemical best known for its use in making dyes. Aniline became important in 1856, when the British chemist William Perkin accidentally made a violet dye from aniline.
Industries use aniline dyes to color textiles and in making inks, paints, and varnishes. Bacteriologists use the dyes to stain bacteria and other organisms. Industries also use aniline in making drugs, explosives, rocket fuels, and other products.
In the laboratory, chemists prepare aniline through a chemical reaction involving nitrobenzene, iron filings, and hydrochloric acid. In industry, aniline is prepared by heating chlorobenzene and ammonia under high pressure, or by a process using nitrobenzene.
Aniline is a colorless, oily liquid that is only slightly soluble in water. It has a strong, pleasing odor but is highly poisonous. Aniline boils at 184 °C.
