Methylene Blue

Methylene blue (CI 52015) is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with the molecular formula C₁₆H₁₈N₃SCl. It has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology and chemistry. At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in water. The hydrated form has 3 molecules of water per molecule of methylene blue. Methylene blue should not be confused with methyl blue, another histology stain, new methylene blue, nor with the methyl violets often used as pH indicators.

The International Nonproprietary Name (INN) of methylene blue is methylthioninium chloride.