homework - Why is oxygen absorbed in a colorless alkaline solution of pyrogallol and...

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Why is oxygen absorbed in a colorless alkaline solution of pyrogallol and why does it turn dark
brown?

I'm reading about recognition and identification of gases. My book says:

Oxygen is absorbed in colorless alkaline solution of pyrogallol and turns

dark brown?

I'd like to know why and how.

homework inorganic-chemistry identification

edited Jul 14 '14 at 9:29 asked Jul 14 '14 at 8:53

jonsca ♦ user31782
1,744 6 20 47 275 2 4 19

1 Answer

Pyrogallol is the common name for 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene. Hydroxy groups are strong
activavtors of aromatic systems. By the time 3 hydroxyl groups have been added to a benzene
nucleus you have a very reactive molecule, reactive enough to react with oxygen in the air. The
reaction is very complex and free radicals are thought to be involved. Free radical reactions
involving activated aromatic rings often lead to colored, high molecular weight products that
are not easy to characterize. Here's a link to a paper that suggests the initial products are
probably the ortho-quinone and 2-pyrone pictured below. Certainly the quinone will be
colored, and as it reacts further to produce the higher molecular weight products, they will be
colored too. Here's another link to a very old paper suggesting that some of the higher
molecular weight products contain at least 20 carbon atoms.

The balanced equation describing the initial radical oxidation of pyrogallol to the quinone can
be written as

2  pyrogallol + O2 ⟶ 2 o-quinone + 2 H2 O

answered Jul 14 '14 at 13:59

ron
62.8k 8 110 210

https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/14331/why-is-oxygen-absorbed-in-a-c... 2017-10-10