It reacts with air to give a black insoluble solid.[1] It is prepared industrially by acetylation of paraquinone with acetic anhydride followed by hydrolysis of the triacetate.[1] Historically, hydroxyquinol was produced by the action of potassium hydroxide on hydroquinone.[3][4] Hydroxyquinol is a common intermediate in the biodegradation of many aromatic compounds.These substrates include monochlorophenols, dichlorophenols, and more complex species such as the pesticide 2,4,5-T.[5] Hydroxyquinol commonly occurs in nature as a biodegradation product of catechin, a natural phenol found in plants (e.g. by soil bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum).