CRYSTAL VIOLET, GRAM Chemical Properties

Density 

0.981 g/mL at 20 °C

Flash point:

34 °C

storage temp. 

room temp

form 

liquid

color 

purple to very dark purple

Safety Information

Hazard Codes 

Xn,N

Risk Statements 

10-52/53-51/53-40

Safety Statements 

16-60-61-36/37

RIDADR 

UN 1170 3/PG 2

CRYSTAL VIOLET, GRAM Usage And Synthesis

Uses

• Crystal violet is routinely used for Gram staining and its variants, staining amyloid, bacterial components, and vascular plant tissues.
• It is used in polychrome staining of epoxy resin sections, viability staining of cultured neurons, and confocal optical sectioning to analyze meiotic structures.
• It is also employed in the acridine orange-crystal violet staining of intracellular bacteria, microsporidian spores, and cytological smears.

Biological Activity

The antimicrobial effects of crystal violet are caused by free radical generation and the formation of unionized dye-bacteria complexes. It also inhibits bacterial protein synthesis and cell wall formation and is especially effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

CRYSTAL VIOLET, GRAM()Related Product Information

• Crystal Violet