[1] The key property of Lucifer yellow is that it can be readily visualized in both living and fixed cells using a fluorescence microscope.

Lucifer yellow was invented by Walter W. Stewart at the National Institutes of Health and patented in 1978.

[2] For common usage it is compounded with carbohydrazide (CH) and prepared as a lithium salt.

The CH group allows it to be covalently linked to surrounding biomolecules during aldehyde fixation.

[3] Other cations such as ammonium or potassium can be used when lithium is undesirable, but the resulting salts are less soluble in water.