Abstract: From 1826, aniline was discovered from natural dye indigo, industrial coal tar, and other sources by different chemists, and its conclusive identification was completed by Hofmann. On this basis, a series of studies carried out by Hofmann into aniline advanced amine chemistry, underpinned the theoretical breakthrough of the ammonia type and laid the scientific foundation for the emergence of the synthetic dye industry. Having entered this field under Hofmann’s mentorship, Perkin discovered mauveine, a novel aniline derivative with dyeing properties. Driven by commercial motivations, he developed a multi-step process for large-scale production of aniline, leading to the first commercial production of aniline dyes, which marked the commencement of the synthetic dye industry.

Key Words: Aniline; Dye; Coal tar; Hofmann; Perkin