A class of synthetic organic dyes characterized by having two nitrogen-containing rings connected by a chain of carbon atoms, producing brilliant blue colors.
From cyano- + -ine (suffix for nitrogen-containing organic compounds). Cyanines were first synthesized in the 1850s and became crucial for photographic emulsions.
Cyanines are hiding in every color photograph ever taken—they're the chemicals that let film see red and green light, and without them, we'd only have black-and-white photos or limited colors, which is why this class of dyes changed how humanity sees itself.
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