In chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

, 1,4-benzoquinonetetracarboxylic acid 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...

 with formula , or (C₆O₂)(-(CO)OH)₄, which can be viewed as deriving from para-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...

  through replacement of the four hydrogen atoms by carboxyl functional groups -(CO)OH.

By removal of four protons, the acid is expected to yield the anion , benzoquinonetetracarboxylate, which is one of the oxocarbon anion

Oxocarbon anion

In chemistry, an oxocarbon anion is a negative ion consisting solely of carbon and oxygen atoms, and therefore having the general formula CxOyn− for some integers x, y, and n....

s (consisting solely of oxygen

Oxygen

Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...

 and carbon

Carbon

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...

. By loss of 1 through 3 proton

Proton

The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....

s it forms the anions , , and , called respectivey trihydrogen-, dihydrogen-, and hydrogenbenzoquinonetetracarboxylate. The same names are used for the corresponding 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...

s.

Removal of two water molecules gives the compound benzoquinonetetracarboxylic dianhydride

Benzoquinonetetracarboxylic dianhydride

Benzoquinonetetracarboxylic dianhydride is an organic compound with formula which can be seen as the result of removing two molecules of water from benzoquinonetetracarboxylic acid....

, , one of the oxides 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...

.

The acid can be obtained by from durene

Durene

Durene, or 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, is an aromatic hydrocarbon used as a solvent. It is also an intermediate in the manufacture of pyromellitic acid, which is used for manufacturing curing agents, adhesives and coating materials...

 (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) via dinitropyromellitic and
diaminopyromellitic acids.

See also

• Mellitic acid
  Mellitic acid
  Mellitic acid, also called graphitic acid or benzenehexacarboxylic acid, is an acid first discovered in 1799 by M. H. Klaproth in the mineral mellite , which is the aluminium salt of the acid.- Preparation :...
  
  
• Tetrahydroxybenzoquinone
• Benzenehexol
  Benzenehexol
  Benzenehexol, also called hexahydroxybenzene, is an organic compound with formula C6H6O6 or C66. It is a six-fold alcohol of benzene. The product is also erroneously called hexaphenol, but this name has been used also for other substances....