Crystal violet
An organic chloride salt that is the monochloride salt of crystal violet cation. It has been used in creams for the topical treatment of bacterial and fungal infections, being effective against some Gram-positive bacteria (notably Staphylococcus species) and some pathogenic fungi (including Candida species) but use declined following reports of animal carcinogenicity. It has also been used for dying wood, silk, and paper, as well as a histological stain. — ChEBI
Safety documents & references
1 indexed referencesFind a product-specific SDS
Safety guides and government classification records are not a manufacturer’s SDS. Match supplier, product number, concentration, physical form, region and revision before using a document.
Identity & molecular properties
Source-linked values| CAS number | 548-62-9 | ChEBI ↗ |
| Molecular formula | C25H30N3.Cl | ChEBI ↗ |
| Molar mass | 407.989 g/mol | ChEBI ↗ |
| Monoisotopic mass | 407.21283 Da | ChEBI ↗ |
| Formal charge | 0 | ChEBI ↗ |
| ChEBI identifier | CHEBI:41688 | ChEBI ↗ |
Cross-source molecular data
PubChem| Molar mass | 408.0 g/mol | PubChem ↗ |
| Exact mass | 407.2128257 Da | PubChem ↗ |
PubChem computed values are shown separately from the ChEBI record. An exact InChIKey match was used to connect the records. Molecular descriptors do not describe a supplied product’s purity, particle size or performance.
Names & structural identifiers
Copy any identifiercrystal violet4-{bis[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]methylene}-N,N-dimethylcyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-iminium chlorideZXJXZNDDNMQXFV-UHFFFAOYSA-MCN(C)c1ccc(C(=C2C=CC(=[N+](C)C)C=C2)c2ccc(N(C)C)cc2)cc1.[Cl-]InChI=1S/C25H30N3.ClH/c1-26(2)22-13-7-19(8-14-22)25(20-9-15-23(16-10-20)27(3)4)21-11-17-24(18-12-21)28(5)6;/h7-18H,1-6H3;1H/q+1;/p-1Names & synonyms
Names are supplied by ChEBI. Trade names and related synonyms may describe a broader product context.
Classification & relationships
ChEBI ontologyRoles recorded in ChEBI
Database role annotations describe reported biological or chemical roles; they are not product approvals or recommendations for use.
Safety classification · Japan
NITE / Japanese government[4-{Bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)methylene}-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene]dimethylammonium chloride; C.I. Basic Violet 3; Crystal Violet · R01-B-004
| Endpoint | Reported classification |
|---|---|
| Explosives | * |
| Flammable gases （including chemically unstable gases） | * |
| Aerosols | * |
| Oxidizing gases | * |
| Gases under pressure | * |
| Flammable liquids | * |
Selected source-reported endpoints. Other endpoints, rationales and conditions remain in the original classification. Missing or unlisted information does not mean non-hazardous. This is not a global classification or transport decision.
Read the original NITE classificationMass ↔ amount of substance
Calculated from sourced massUses 407.989 g/mol from ChEBI. Assumes the substance described by this record; no purity or concentration correction is applied.
Elemental composition
Theoretical mass fractionsCNClHCalculated theoretical mass fractions from the reported formula and PubChem periodic-table atomic masses. These are not assay or purity results.
Research & patent references
Selected source associationsSources & record history
Checked 27 Sep 2026Release 255, 9 September 2026. ChEBI three-star (manually annotated) source entry. View original record ↗ · CC BY 4.0
PubCAS formats source data, connects references and computes explicitly labelled conversions. CAS cross-references are supplied by ChEBI; they do not constitute CAS verification or endorsement.