Anthracene was first discovered in coal tar by Jean B.A Dumas and Auguste Laurent in 1832. The importance of anthracene for industrial aromatic chemistry began with the synthesis of the dyestuff alizarin by Carl Graebe and Carl Th. Lieber....

The industrial importance of naphthalene dates from the latter half of the last century, owing mainly to the ease with which it can be converted into sulfonic acids and thence also to the naphthols, for use as dyestuffs intermediates.....