William Henry Perkin (March 12, 1838 - July 14, 1907) was an English chemist best known for his discovery, at the age of 18, of the first aniline dye, mauveine. Having invented the dye, he was still faced with the problems of raising the capital for produ
William Henry Perkin (March 12, 1838 - July 14, 1907) was an English chemist best known for his discovery, at the age of 18, of the first aniline dye, mauveine. Having invented the dye, he was still faced with the problems of raising the capital for producing it, manufacturing it cheaply, adapting it for use in dyeing cotton, gaining acceptance for it among commercial dyers, and creating public demand for it. However, he was active in all of these areas: he persuaded his father to put up the capital, and his brothers to partner him in the creation of a factory; he invented a mordant for cotton; he gave technical advice to the dyeing industry; and he publicized his invention of the dye. He became rich. He continued active research in organic chemistry for the rest of his life. He discovered and marketed other synthetic dyes, including Britannia Violet and Perkin's Green. He discovered ways to make coumarin, one of the first synthetic perfume raw materials, and cinnamic acid. He died in 1907 of pneumonia and appendicitis.
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