By acting as a free radical scavenger, hydroquinone serves to prolong the shelflife of light-sensitive resins such as preceramic polymers. Hydroquinone can lose a hydrogen cation from both hydroxyl groups to form a diphenolate ion.
People may use hydroquinone as a form of treatment for hyperpigmentation skin conditions, wherein some areas of skin grow darker than surrounding areas. Some conditions that people may use hydroquinone for include: People with melasma have brown or gray-brown patches on their skin.
The reactivity of hydroquinone's O-H groups resembles that of other phenols, being weakly acidic. The resulting conjugate base undergoes easy O-alkylation to give mono- and diethers. Similarly, hydroquinone is highly susceptible to ring substitution by Friedel-Crafts reactions such as alkylation.
The term hydroquinone was coined by Friedrich Wöhler in 1843. Hydroqiunone is most often produced by the cumene process in a reaction mechanism and entails the dialkylation of benzene with propene to give out 1,4-diisopropylbenzene.
They can do this by applying a small amount of the product to the affected area of skin. Check for signs of irritation, such as itching or redness.
Hydroquinone is a chemical that bleaches the skin. It can come as a cream, emulsion, gel, or lotion. A person can apply these products directly to the skin. Creams that contain 2% hydroquinone are available to buy over the counter in most drugstores. Stronger creams are available with a prescription from a doctor.
First, make sure that the area is clean and dry. Apply a thin layer of product to the affected skin and rub it in well. Lastly, wash the hands thoroughly. This will stop the hydroquinone from lightening the skin on the fingers.
Those with acne scars may also use hydroquinone-based skin-lightening creams. Products containing 2% hydroquinone are available over the counter at most drugstores. Stronger concentrations are available with a prescription. These products are generally safe, but long-term use can cause issues, such as ochronosis.
Hydroquinone is not the only skin-lightening product available over the counter. The American Academy of Dermatology urge people to choose skin-lightening products carefully. For example, some contain steroids that can cause pimples and rashes. Long-term use can even make the skin thin and fragile.
Stronger creams are available with a prescription from a doctor. People may use hydroquinone as a form of treatment for hyperpigmentation skin conditions, wherein some areas of skin grow darker than surrounding areas. Some conditions that people may use hydroquinone for include:
The reactivity of hydroquinone's hydroxyl groups resembles that of other phenols, being weakly acidic. The resulting conjugate base undergoes easy O -alkylation to give mono- and diethers. Similarly, hydroquinone is highly susceptible to ring substitution by Friedel–Crafts reactions such as alkylation.
Hydroquinone has a variety of uses principally associated with its action as a reducing agent that is soluble in water. It is a major component in most black and white photographic developers for film and paper where, with the compound metol, it reduces silver halides to elemental silver .
Hydroquinones are one of the two primary reagents in the defensive glands of bombardier beetles, along with hydrogen peroxide (and perhaps other compounds, depending on the species), which collect in a reservoir. The reservoir opens through a muscle-controlled valve onto a thick-walled reaction chamber.