A Perspective: A Brief Consideration of Some Popular Blue Colorants

This Perspective sets out to raise awareness about the chemical and photophysical properties of an assortment of blue colorants; it is generally regarded that blue is the most popular color worldwide and is recognized for its serenity and calming effect. In fact, blue colorants have a long and rich history, perhaps starting with Egyptian Blue, and have found colossal usage in the dyeing of uniforms and popular clothing. Other blue colorants have made major contributions to our understanding of the fields of molecular spectroscopy and photophysics and continue to underpin contemporary opto-electronic devices. This is in addition to their socio-cultural, economic, and ecological benefits to society. Originally, blue colorants were extracted from minerals by tedious and ineffectual grinding to give a product carrying an exorbitant price. Later, these materials were supplemented by synthetic analogues, such as copper phthalocyanine, more affordable to the general public. It is stressed that the journal Colorants would welcome submissions that describe the chemistry and/or spectroscopy of other archetypal colorants.