Colorants

The Section “Colorants” of Molecules publishes original research articles and reviews on all aspects of natural and synthetic colorant chemistry, analysis, and properties, spanning from the food and cosmetic sectors to the materials science field.

The main scope is covered by (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Analysis of natural colorants in food and food-derived samples;
• Extraction of natural colorants from plant and food sources, with particular reference to environmentally friendly extraction methodologies applied to agri-food by-products;
• Structural modifications of natural colorants during food processing and storage and stabilization strategies;
• Assimilation, metabolism, and biological activities of dietary food colorants;
• Preparation and properties of synthetic colorants;
• Melanin pigments: chemistry, analysis, and  structure–property–function relationships;
• Dye-sensitized solar cells;
• Sensors, fluorescent molecules/probes/materials, probes for molecular imaging;
• Innovative applications of natural and synthetic colorants in the food and cosmetic sector, as well as functional additives for the implementation of smart materials (safety aspects should be considered in the case of synthetic colorants).