1. An organic compound derived from benzene, consisting of a six-membered aromatic ring with two opposite carbonyl groups; used in organic synthesis and as an oxidizing agent.
Usage: chemistry; Also called para-benzoquinone or 1,4-benzoquinone in its most common form

Examples

• Benzoquinone is a yellow crystalline solid commonly used in laboratory oxidation reactions.
• The chemist added benzoquinone to the reaction mixture to oxidize the alcohol to a ketone.
• Benzoquinone derivatives are important intermediates in the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals.
• In nature, benzoquinone-like compounds play roles in electron transport chains within cells.
• The structure of benzoquinone makes it a useful reagent for detecting reducing sugars.