This paper is devoted to the phenolsulphonephthalein nitro derivative 3,3 0 -dinitrophenolsulphonephthalein, also called nitrophenol violet (NPV). The neutral molecular form, H 2 R, was isolated as a sultonic tautomer, and an X-ray crystal structure analysis was carried out. UV-vis absorption spectra in methanol, DMSO, acetonitrile, and water at different pH values were ascribed to the molecular and anionic (H 2 R, HR À , and R 2À ) species. Whereas the pK a values of this acid-base indicator (HR À ¡ R 2À + H + ) in water and DMSO are close to those of 3,3 0 ,5,5 0 -tetrabromophenolsulphonephthalein (or bromophenol blue), replacing the four Br atoms with two NO 2 groups results in a pronounced tendency to carbinol formation. In weakly acidic aqueous media, the HR À anion slowly converts into the colourless carbinol H 2 ROH À . The latter is transformed to the orange carbocation only in concentrated (70-94 wt%) sulphuric acid. The formation of H 2 ROH À is atypical for the common sulphonephthalein indicators and should be ascribed to the enhanced positive charge density on the nodal carbon atom. The reaction mechanism and kinetic equation explaining this pH-dependent process are proposed, in addition to a kinetic study of the common process R 2À + HO À ? ROH 3À in the alkaline region. The numerical characterisation of the protolytic processes obtained for NPV is also helpful in gaining a better understanding of the properties of previously studied 3,3 0 ,5,5 0 -tetranitrophenolsulphonephthalein, which is much less accessible for a quantitative description.