Kaempferol
Discussion
A natural yellow crystalline flavonoid found in a wide variety of plants with common sources of safflower(Carthamus tinctoria), yellow larkspur (Delphinium semibarbatum). Named after 17th-century German naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer, kaempferol has been identified in historical textiles from the 7th–18th centuries, including Chinese silks and Persian velvets. Kaempferol is a natural yellow flavonoid dye, identified in historical textiles from the 7th–18th centuries, including Chinese silks and Persian velvets. As a stable flavonol chromophore, it was often used in combination with other dyes (quercitin, luteolin) to produce yellow to orange shades.
Synonyms and Related Terms
3,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone; Natural yellow 18; CI 75160; Umbellatine; Robigenin; Pelargidenolon; Rhamnolutein; Rhamnolutin; Populnetin; Trifolitin; Kempferol; Swartziol
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Slightly soluble in water
- Highly soluble in hot ethanol, ethers and DMSO.
- Composition = C15H10O6
- CAS # = 520-18-3
- Molecular weight = 286.23 g/mol
- Density = 1.688 g/ml
- Melting point = 276-278 C
Resources and Citations
- Wikipedia: Kaempferol Accessed April 2026
- Samantha Sharif, Paula Nabais, Maria J Melo, M Conceicao Oliveira, 'Traditional Yellow Dyes Used in the 21st Century in Central Iran: The Knowledge of Master Dyers Revealed by HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-HRMS/MS', Molecules. 2020 Feb 18;25(4):908. Link
- Samaneh Sharif, Paula Nabais, Maria J. Melo, Fernando Pina, M. Conceição Oliveira, 'Photoreactivity and stability of flavonoid yellows used in cultural heritage', Dyes and Pigments, Volume 199, 2022. Link