Under UV light, substituted quinones can undergo [2+2] cycloadditions or abstract hydrogen atoms from solvents. This is frequently used in polymer chemistry and the study of DNA damage.
If the quinone has a good leaving group (like a halogen in p-chloranil ), a nucleophile can displace it directly. This is a common route for synthesizing complex dyes and bioactive molecules. 5. Photochemical Reactions reactions of substituted quinones
The "ortho/para" rule applies here; substituents on the diene and the quinone will orient themselves to maximize electronic stabilization in the transition state. 3. Redox Chemistry (Reduction) Quinones are easily reduced to hydroquinones. Under UV light, substituted quinones can undergo [2+2]