Cyclohexenone is an organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 which is a versatile intermediate used in the synthesis

Organic synthesis

Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...

 of a variety of chemical products such as pharmaceuticals and fragrances. It is a clear colorless liquid with a boiling point of 171-173 °C.

Industrially, cyclohexenone is prepared from phenol

Phenol

Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...

 by Birch reduction

Birch reduction

The Birch Reduction is an organic reaction which is particularly useful in synthetic organic chemistry. The reaction was reported in 1944 by the Australian chemist Arthur Birch working in the Dyson Perrins Laboratory in the University of Oxford, building on earlier work by Wooster and Godfrey in...

.

Common reactions involving cyclohexenone include nucleophilic conjugate addition

Nucleophilic conjugate addition

Nucleophilic conjugate addition is a type of organic reaction. Ordinary nucleophilic additions or 1,2-nucleophilic additions deal mostly with additions to carbonyl compounds. Simple alkene compounds do not show 1,2 reactivity due to lack of polarity, unless the alkene is activated with special...

 with organocopper reagents

Organocopper compound

Organocopper compounds in organometallic chemistry contain carbon to copper chemical bonds. Organocopper chemistry is the science of organocopper compounds describing their physical properties, synthesis and reactions...

, Michael reaction

Michael reaction

The Michael reaction or Michael addition is the nucleophilic addition of a carbanion or another nucleophile to an alpha, beta unsaturated carbonyl compound. It belongs to the larger class of conjugate additions. This is one of the most useful methods for the mild formation of C-C bonds...

s and Robinson annulation

Robinson annulation

The Robinson annulation is an organic reaction used to create a six-member ring α,β-unsaturated cyclic ketone, using a ketone and methyl vinyl ketone...

s.