Mechanism of Purpurogallin Formation: An Adduct from 3‐Hydroxy‐<i>o</i>‐benzoquinone and 4,5‐Dimethyl‐<i>o</i>‐benzoquinone

Abstract

The adduct 2 has long been postulated as an intermediate in the formation of purpurogallin 1 from pyrogallol. The adduct 5, formed from the o-benzoquinones 3 and 4, exhibits extensive structural analogy to 2 and thus supports previous conceptions on the mechanism of purpurogallin formation.