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Nile red

Nile red


IUPAC name	Nile red
Other names	Nile blue oxazone
Identifiers
CAS number	7385-67-3
PubChem	65182
SMILES	CCN(CC)C1=CC2=C(C=C1)N= C3C4=CC=CC=C4C(=O)C=C3O2
Properties
Molecular formula	C₂₀H₁₈N₂O₂
Molar mass	318.369 g/mol
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Nile red (also known as Nile blue oxazone) is a lipophilic stain. It is produced by boiling a solution of Nile blue with sulfuric acid. As can be seen from the structural formulae, this process replaces an amino group with a carbonyl group. Nile red stains intracellular lipid droplets red. Nile red is also intensely fluorescent, with a strong yellow-gold emission when in a lipid-rich environment.

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Since the reaction to generate Nile red does not usually completely exhaust the supply of Nile blue, additional separation steps are required if pure Nile red is needed.