The New Blue

Scientists at Oregon State University recently accidentally discovered a compound that cultures have been trying to produce for thousands of years; a nearly-perfect blue dye. Throughout history, blue has always been a highly desirable color; empires such as the Egyptians, Mayans, Persians, and Chinese have tried to produce a suitable blue dye, but were mostly unsuccessful. The scientists at Oregon State University were experimenting with magnesium oxides, and happened to come across an unusual trigonal bipyramidal compound structure that produces a very vivid blue dye. Many of the previously produced blue dyes have been unsuccessful due to decomposition, toxicity, or fading, however, the newly formulated blue dye does not seem to do any of those things over a long period of time. The scientists believe that this "new blue" could be a replacement for all of the blue dyes that are in use today.

Posted by Will Black