- Source: Lophine
Lophine is the organic compound with the formula (C6H5C)2N2HCC6H5. It is a derivative of imidazole wherein all three carbon atoms have phenyl groups as substituents. A white solid, this compound gave the first example of chemiluminescence when its basic solutions were exposed to air. Its chemiluminescence continues to attract attention.
Lophine and its dihydro analogue amarine (meso-2,4,5-triphenyl-2-imidazoline) were discovered early in the history of organic chemistry (between 1841 and 1847), before the development of a structural theory of organic chemistry by Kekulé and Couper in the 1850s. Lophine is prepared by condensation of benzaldehyde, benzil, and ammonia.
