Phloroglucinol
phloroglucinol
[¦flȯr·ə′glüs·ən‚ȯl]Phloroglucinol
(also 1,3,5-trihydroxy-benzene), one of the trihydric phenols. The structural formula is
Phloroglucinol occurs as colorless crystals with a sweet taste that are readily soluble in alcohol and ether. The melting point is 217°–219°C. The compound forms a dihydrate with a melting point of 117°C.
Phloroglucinol is prepared mainly through the hydrolysis of the hydrochloride of 1,3,5-triaminobenzene. In glycoside form, phloroglucinol is a constituent of many natural substances (flavones, catechin). The compound is used in analytical chemistry, for example, in quantitative and qualitative determinations of pentoses and pentosans. (Hydrolysis of pentosans in the presence of hydrochloric acid yields furfural, which combines with phloroglucinol to form a red solid that is insoluble in water.)