Abstract
The photochemistry of triphenylmethane dye was investigated in organic solutions at room temperature. Malachite green oxalate showed photobleaching upon visible light irradiation and recovery in the dark in less polar 1, 2-dimethoxyethane. Such inverse photochromism was due to the formation of leuco ester from photoassisted binding of cation and anion, and to thermal ionic dissociation. In polar solvents such as acetonitrile these reactions were not observed.
