Parent compound of azobenzene disperse dyes. Prepn: A. I. Vogel, Practical Organic Chemistry (Longmans, London, 3rd ed., 1959) p 631. Toxicity data: E. W. Schafer, Jr., W. A. Bowles, Jr., Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 14, 111 (1985). Review of carcinogenicity studies: IARC Monographs 8, 75 (1975). Review of photochemistry: G. S. Kumar, D. C. Neckers, Chem. Rev. 89, 1915-1925 (1989). Review of use in artificial membranes: J.-I. Anzai, T. Osa, Tetrahedron 50, 4039-4070 (1994); as modeling ligand: A. A. Pasynskii et al., Bull. Pol. Acad. Sci. Chem. 42, 23-33 (1994); in polymers: A. Natansohn, P. Rochon, ACS Symp. Ser. 672, 236-250 (1997).