2,5-Dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone or 2,5-dihydroxy-para-benzoquinone is an organic compound with formula C 6H 4O 4, formally derived from 1,4-benzoquinone by replacing two hydrogen atoms with hydroxyl (OH) groups. It is one of seven dihydroxybenzoquinone isomers. It is a yellow solid[1] with planar molecules[2] that exhibits ferroelectric properties.[3]
The compound is a weak acid: one or both hydroxyls can lose a proton to yield the anionsC 6H 3O− 4 (pKa1 = 2.95) and C 6H 2O2− 4 (pKa2 = 4.87), respectively. The latter forms a variety of metal complexes, functioning as a binucleating ligand.[4]
The compound has been identified as partly responsible for the color of aged cellulosic materials.[5]
^Semmingsen, Dag "The crystal and molecular structure of 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone at -162°C" Acta Chemica Scandinavica, Series B: Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry 1977, volume B31, 11-14.
^Horiuchi, Sachio; Kumai, Reiji; Tokura, Yoshinori "Hydrogen-bonded donor-acceptor compounds for organic ferroelectric materials" Chemical Communications 2007, 2321-2329. doi:10.1039/B617881B
^Kitagawa, Susumu; Kawata, Satoshi "Coordination compounds of 1,4-dihydroxybenzoquinone and its homologues. Structures and properties" Coordination Chemistry Reviews 2002, volume 224, 11-34. doi:10.1016/S0010-8545(01)00369-1
^Hosoya, Takashi; French, Alfred D.; Rosenau, Thomas "Chemistry of 2,5-dihydroxy-[1,4]-benzoquinone, a key chromophore in aged cellulosics" Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry 2013, volume 10, pp. 309-315.