Hydroxyquinol is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with the formula C₆H₃(OH)₃. It is one of three isomeric

benzenetriol The trihydroxybenzenes (or benzenetriols) are organic compounds with the formula C6H3(OH)3. Also classified as polyphenols, they feature three hydroxyl groups substituted onto a benzene ring. They are white solids with modest solubility in water. ...

s. The compound is a colorless solid that is soluble in water. It reacts with air to give a black insoluble solid.

Production

It is prepared industrially by acetylation of

paraquinone 1,4-Benzoquinone, commonly known as ''para''-quinone, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H4O2. In a pure state, it forms bright-yellow crystals with a characteristic irritating odor, resembling that of chlorine, bleach, and hot plastic or ...

with

acetic anhydride Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3CO)2O. Commonly abbreviated Ac2O, it is the simplest isolable anhydride of a carboxylic acid and is widely used as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is a col ...

followed by hydrolysis of the triacetate. Historically hydroxyquinol was produced by the action of

potassium hydroxide Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...

hydroquinone Hydroquinone, also known as benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, a derivative of benzene, having the chemical formula C6H4(OH)2. It has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a ''para'' ...

. It can also be prepared by

dehydrating In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of Metabolism, metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental tempe ...

fructose Fructose, or fruit sugar, is a Ketose, ketonic monosaccharide, simple sugar found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and galacto ...

. :C₆H₁₂O₆ → 3 H₂O + C₆H₆O₃

Natural occurrence

Hydroxyquinol is a common intermediate in the biodegradation of many aromatic compounds. These substrates include mono

chlorophenol A chlorophenol is any organochloride of phenol that contains one or more covalently bonded chlorine atoms. There are five basic types of chlorophenols (mono- to pentachlorophenol) and 19 different chlorophenols in total when positional isomerism is ...

dichlorophenol Dichlorophenols (DCPs) are any of several chemical compounds which are derivatives of phenol containing two chlorine atoms. There are six isomers: * 2,3-Dichlorophenol * 2,4-Dichlorophenol * 2,5-Dichlorophenol * 2,6-Dichlorophenol 2,6-Dichlo ...

s, and more complex species such as the pesticide 2,4,5-T. Hydroxyquinol commonly occurs in nature as a

biodegradation Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...

product of

catechin Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from ''catechu'', which is the tannic ...

, a natural phenol found in plants (e.g. by soil bacteria ''

Bradyrhizobium japonicum ''Bradyrhizobium japonicum'' is a species of legume- root nodulating, microsymbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The species is one of many Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria commonly referred to as rhizobia. Within that broad classification, wh ...

''). Hydroxyquinol is also a

metabolite In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

in some organisms. For instance,

Hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase In enzymology, a hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction :benzene-1,2,4-triol + O2 \rightleftharpoons 3-hydroxy-cis,cis-muconate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are benzene-1,2,4-triol (hydro ...

is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

that uses hydroxyquinol as a substrate with

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

to produce 3-hydroxy-cis,cis-muconate.

References

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