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pyrocatechol

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pyrocatechol

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Also known as 1,2-Benzenediol, o-Benzenediol, 1,2-Dihydroxybenzene, o-Dihydroxybenzene, 2-Hydroxyphenol, o-hydroxyphenol, pyrocatechin

Catechol ( or ), also known as pyrocatechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is the ortho isomer of the three isomeric benzenediols. This colorless compound occurs naturally in trace amounts. It was first discovered by destructive distillation of the plant extract catechin. About 20,000 tonnes of catechol are now synthetically produced annually as a commodity organic chemical, mainly as a precursor to pesticides, flavors, and fragrances. Small amounts of catechol occur in fruits and vegetables.

Chemical data

Formula
C6H6O2
Molecular weight
110.11 g/mol
IUPAC name
benzene-1,2-diol
SMILES
C1=CC=C(C(=C1)O)O
InChIKey
YCIMNLLNPGFGHC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
XLogP
0.9
Polar surface area
40.5 Ų
H-bond donors
2
H-bond acceptors
2
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

9 sections
Contents
  • Isolation and synthesis
  • Reactions
  • Redox chemistry
  • Catechol derivatives
  • Uses
  • Nomenclature
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Catechol ( or ), also known as pyrocatechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is the ortho isomer of the three isomeric benzenediols. This colorless compound occurs naturally in trace amounts. It was first discovered by destructive distillation of the plant extract catechin. About 20,000 tonnes of catechol are now synthetically produced annually as a commodity organic chemical, mainly as a precursor to pesticides, flavors, and fragrances. Small amounts of catechol occur in fruits and vegetables.

==Isolation and synthesis==

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “pyrocatechol” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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