Tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone bisoxalate

Tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone bisoxalate is a chemical compound

Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

, an oxide of carbon

Oxocarbon

An oxocarbon or oxide of carbon is an inorganic compound consisting only of carbon and oxygen.The simplest and most common oxocarbons are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide...

with formula . Its molecule consists of a 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...

core with the four 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 replaced by two oxalate

Oxalate

Oxalate , is the dianion with formula C2O42− also written 22−. Either name is often used for derivatives, such as disodium oxalate, 2C2O42−, or an ester of oxalic acid Oxalate (IUPAC: ethanedioate), is the dianion with formula C2O42− also written (COO)22−. Either...

groups

Functional group

In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of...

. It can be seen as a fourfold ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

of tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone

Tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone

Tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, also called tetrahydroxy-p-benzoquinone, tetrahydoxybenzoquinone, or tetrahydroxyquinone , is an organic compound with formula C6O24...

and oxalic acid

Oxalic acid

Oxalic acid is an organic compound with the formula H2C2O4. This colourless solid is a dicarboxylic acid. In terms of acid strength, it is about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid. Oxalic acid is a reducing agent and its conjugate base, known as oxalate , is a chelating agent for metal cations...

.

The compound was first described by H. S. Verter, H. Porter, and R. Dominic in 1968. It was obtained by reacting tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone with oxalyl chloride

Oxalyl chloride

Oxalyl chloride or ethanedioyl dichloride is a chemical compound with the formula 2. This colourless, sharp-smelling liquid, the diacid chloride of oxalic acid, is a useful reagent in organic synthesis...

in tetrahydrofuran

Tetrahydrofuran

Tetrahydrofuran is a colorless, water-miscible organic liquid with low viscosity at standard temperature and pressure. This heterocyclic compound has the chemical formula 4O. As one of the most polar ethers with a wide liquid range, it is a useful solvent. Its main use, however, is as a precursor...

It is a yellow solid that can be crystallized as a tetrahydrofuran solvate, but could not be prepared in pure form.

See also