Hydroxynaphthoquinone

A hydroxynaphthoquinone (formula: C10H6O3) is any of several organic compounds that can be viewed as derivatives of a naphthoquinone through replacement of one hydrogen atom (H) by a hydroxyl group (-OH). A hydroxynaphthoquinone (formula: C10H6O3) is any of several organic compounds that can be viewed as derivatives of a naphthoquinone through replacement of one hydrogen atom (H) by a hydroxyl group (-OH). In general, the term may mean any naphthoquinone derivative where any number n of hydrogens have been replaced by n hydroxyls, so that the formula is C10H6O2+n. In this case the number n (which is between 1 and 6) is indicated by a multiplier prefix (mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexa-). The unqualified term 'hydroxynaphthoquinone' usually means a derivative of 1,4-naphthoquinone. Other hydroxy- compounds can be derived from other isomers of the latter, such as 1,2-naphthoquinone and 2,6-naphthoquinone. The IUPAC nomenclature uses dihydronaphthalenedione instead of 'naphthoquinone', with the necessary prefixes to indicate the positions of the carbonyl oxygens (=O) — as in 5,8-dihydroxy-1a,8a-dihydronaphthalene-1,4-dione (= 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone). The hydroxynaphtoquinones (in the particular or the general sense) include many biologically and industrially important compounds, and are a building-block of many medicinal drugs.