Quinone
Encyclopedia
A quinone is a class of organic compound
s that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds [such as benzene
or naphthalene
] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with any necessary rearrangement of double bond
s," resulting in "a fully conjugated
cyclic dione
structure." The class includes some heterocyclic compound
s.
The prototypical member of the class are 1,4-benzoquinone
or cyclohexadienedione, often called simply quinone (whence the name of the class). Other important examples are 1,2-benzoquinone
(ortho-quinone), 1,4-naphthoquinone and 9,10-anthraquinone
.
Quinones are oxidised derivatives of aromatic compounds and are often readily made from reactive aromatic compounds with electron-donating substituents such as phenols
and catechols, which increase the nucleophilicity of the ring and contributes to the large redox potential needed to break aromaticity. (Quinones are conjugated but not aromatic). Quinones are electrophilic Michael acceptors stabilised by conjugation. Depending on the quinone and the site of reduction, reduction can either rearomatise the compound or break the conjugation. Conjugate addition nearly always breaks the conjugation.
The term quinone is also used more generally for a large class of compounds formally derived from aromatic quinones through replacement of some hydrogen
atoms by other atoms or radicals.
. 2-Alkylanthraquinones are hydrogenated to the corresponding hydroquinones (quinizarins), which then transfer H2 to oxygen:
In this way, several billion kilograms of H2O2 are produced annually.
is phylloquinone
). Others serve as electron acceptors in electron transport chains such as those in photosystem
s I & II of photosynthesis
, and aerobic respiration.
A natural example of the oxidation of hydroquinone
to quinone is in the spray of bombardier beetle
s; hydroquinone is reacted with hydrogen peroxide
to produce a fiery blast of steam, a strong deterrent in the animal world.
).
s and pigment
s) are quinone derivatives. They are second only to azo dyes in importance as dyestuffs, with particular emphasis on blue colors. Alizarin
(2,3-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone), extracted from the madder
plant, was the first natural dye to be synthesized from coal tar.
as an oxidizing agent
. Stronger quinone oxidising agents exist; for instance: chloranil
and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
(also known as DDQ).
, etc.) and the "-quinone" suffix. Infix multipliers "-di-", "-tri-", "-tetra-" (etc.) are used when there are 4, 6, 8 (etc.) carbonyls. The position of the carbonyl groups can be indicated before the prefix (as in "1,4,5,8-naphthodiquinone") or after it ("anthra-1,4-quinone").
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...
s that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds [such as benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
or naphthalene
Naphthalene
Naphthalene is an organic compound with formula . It is a white crystalline solid with a characteristic odor that is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.08 ppm by mass. As an aromatic hydrocarbon, naphthalene's structure consists of a fused pair of benzene rings...
] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with any necessary rearrangement of double bond
Double bond
A double bond in chemistry is a chemical bond between two chemical elements involving four bonding electrons instead of the usual two. The most common double bond, that between two carbon atoms, can be found in alkenes. Many types of double bonds between two different elements exist, for example in...
s," resulting in "a fully conjugated
Conjugated system
In chemistry, a conjugated system is a system of connected p-orbitals with delocalized electrons in compounds with alternating single and multiple bonds, which in general may lower the overall energy of the molecule and increase stability. Lone pairs, radicals or carbenium ions may be part of the...
cyclic dione
Diketone
A diketone is a molecule containing two ketone groups. The simpliest diketone is diacetyl, also known as 2,3-butanedione. Diacetyl, acetylacetone, and hexane-2,5-dione are examples of 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-diketones, respectively...
structure." The class includes some heterocyclic compound
Heterocyclic compound
A heterocyclic compound is a cyclic compound which has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring. The counterparts of heterocyclic compounds are homocyclic compounds, the rings of which are made of a single element....
s.
The prototypical member of the class are 1,4-benzoquinone
1,4-Benzoquinone
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. Impure samples are often dark-colored due to the presence...
or cyclohexadienedione, often called simply quinone (whence the name of the class). Other important examples are 1,2-benzoquinone
1,2-Benzoquinone
1,2-Benzoquinone, also called ortho-benzoquinone or cyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-dione, is a ketone, with formula C6H4O2. It is one of the two isomers of quinone, the other being 1,4-benzoquinone....
(ortho-quinone), 1,4-naphthoquinone and 9,10-anthraquinone
Anthraquinone
Anthraquinone, also called anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene is an aromatic organic compound with formula . Several isomers are possible, each of which can be viewed as a quinone derivative...
.
Quinones are oxidised derivatives of aromatic compounds and are often readily made from reactive aromatic compounds with electron-donating substituents such as phenols
Phenols
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group...
and catechols, which increase the nucleophilicity of the ring and contributes to the large redox potential needed to break aromaticity. (Quinones are conjugated but not aromatic). Quinones are electrophilic Michael acceptors stabilised by conjugation. Depending on the quinone and the site of reduction, reduction can either rearomatise the compound or break the conjugation. Conjugate addition nearly always breaks the conjugation.
The term quinone is also used more generally for a large class of compounds formally derived from aromatic quinones through replacement of some hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
atoms by other atoms or radicals.
Production of hydrogen peroxide
A large scale industrial application of quinones is for the production of hydrogen peroxideHydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
. 2-Alkylanthraquinones are hydrogenated to the corresponding hydroquinones (quinizarins), which then transfer H2 to oxygen:
- dihydroanthraquinone + O2 → anthraquinone + H2O2
In this way, several billion kilograms of H2O2 are produced annually.
Biochemistry
Derivatives of quinones are common constituents of biologically relevant molecules (e.g., Vitamin K1Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a group of structurally similar, fat soluble vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins required for blood coagulation and in metabolic pathways in bone and other tissue. They are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives...
is phylloquinone
Phylloquinone
Phylloquinone is a polycyclic aromatic ketone, based on 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, with a 3-phytyl substituent.It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stable to air and moisture but decomposes in sunlight. It is found naturally in a wide variety of green plants.-Terminology:It is often called...
). Others serve as electron acceptors in electron transport chains such as those in photosystem
Photosystem
Photosystems are functional and structural units of protein complexes involved in photosynthesis that together carry out the primary photochemistry of photosynthesis: the absorption of light and the transfer of energy and electrons...
s I & II of photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
, and aerobic respiration.
A natural example of the oxidation of hydroquinone
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone, also benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, having the chemical formula C6H42. Its chemical structure, shown in the table at right, has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a para position. It is a white granular solid...
to quinone is in the spray of bombardier beetle
Bombardier beetle
Bombardier beetles are ground beetles in the tribes Brachinini, Paussini, Ozaenini, or Metriini—more than 500 species altogether—which are most notable for the defense mechanism that gives them their name: When disturbed, the beetle ejects a noxious chemical spray in a rapid burst of pulses from...
s; hydroquinone is reacted with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
to produce a fiery blast of steam, a strong deterrent in the animal world.
Medicinal Uses
Natural or synthetic quinones show a biological or pharmacological activity, and some of them show antitumoral activity. possess a number of biological properties, including some claims in herbal medicine. These applications include purgative (sennosdes), antimicrobacterial (rhein- and saprorthoquinone), anti-tumor (emodin and jugone), inhibition of PGE2 biosynthesis (arnebinone and arnebifuranone) and anti-cardiovascular disease (tanshinoneSalvia miltiorrhiza
Salvia miltiorrhiza , also known as red sage, Chinese sage, tan shen, or danshen, is a perennial plant in the genus Salvia, highly valued for its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. Native to China and Japan, it grows at elevation, preferring grassy places in forests, hillsides, and along...
).
Dyes
Many natural and artificial coloring substances (dyeDye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
s and pigment
Pigment
A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...
s) are quinone derivatives. They are second only to azo dyes in importance as dyestuffs, with particular emphasis on blue colors. Alizarin
Alizarin
Alizarin or 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent dye, originally derived from the roots of plants of the madder genus.Alizarin was used as a red dye for the English parliamentary "new model" army...
(2,3-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone), extracted from the madder
Madder
Rubia is a genus of the madder family Rubiaceae, which contains about 60 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and sub-shrubs native to the Old World, Africa, temperate Asia and America...
plant, was the first natural dye to be synthesized from coal tar.
Reagents in organic chemistry
Benzoquinone is used in organic chemistryOrganic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
as an oxidizing agent
Oxidizing agent
An oxidizing agent can be defined as a substance that removes electrons from another reactant in a redox chemical reaction...
. Stronger quinone oxidising agents exist; for instance: chloranil
Chloranil
Chloranil is a quinone with the molecular formula C6Cl4O2....
and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone is the chemical reagent with formula C8Cl2N2O2. This oxidant is useful for the dehydrogenation of alcohols, phenols and steroid ketones in organic chemistry. DDQ decomposes in water, but is stable in aqueous mineral acid.-Preparation:Synthesis of DDQ...
(also known as DDQ).
Nomenclature
Quinones are commonly named with a prefix that indicates the parent aromatic hydrocarbon ("benzo-" for benzene, "naphtho-" for naphthalene, "anthra-" for anthraceneAnthracene
Anthracene is a solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of three fused benzene rings. It is a component of coal-tar. Anthracene is used in the production of the red dye alizarin and other dyes...
, etc.) and the "-quinone" suffix. Infix multipliers "-di-", "-tri-", "-tetra-" (etc.) are used when there are 4, 6, 8 (etc.) carbonyls. The position of the carbonyl groups can be indicated before the prefix (as in "1,4,5,8-naphthodiquinone") or after it ("anthra-1,4-quinone").
See also
- AnthraquinoneAnthraquinoneAnthraquinone, also called anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene is an aromatic organic compound with formula . Several isomers are possible, each of which can be viewed as a quinone derivative...
- Benzoquinone
- NaphthoquinoneNaphthoquinoneNaphthoquinone is a class of natural phenols based on the C6-C4 skeleton.1,4-Naphthoquinone can be viewed as derivatives of naphthalene through the replacement of two hydrogen atoms by two ketone groups....
- PlastoquinonePlastoquinonePlastoquinone is a quinone molecule involved in the electron transport chain in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Plastoquinone is reduced , forming plastoquinol...
- Pyrroloquinoline quinonePyrroloquinoline quinonePyrroloquinoline quinone was discovered by J.G. Hauge as the third redox cofactor after nicotinamide and flavin in bacteria . Anthony and Zatman also found the unknown redox cofactor in alcohol dehydrogenase and named it methoxatin...