This has been attempted (check
Post 325971 (missing)
(Mountain_Girl: "Haunted by metallic green crystals", Newbee Forum)for background).
Hydroquinone was dissolved in water and stirred.
To this was added FeCl
3 (about 3 x mass of hydroquinone) in aqueous solution, slowly from a dropping funnel, at room temperature. A ppte of quinhydrone appeared as the FeCl
3 was added. Very quick and easy. Unfortunately quinhydrone is not quite benzoquinone. However it may have something to do with the quality of hydroquinone, so I would really like someone else to try this method with hydroquinone from a different source.
"Does ferric chloride have this dehydrogenation affect With any OH groups like reducing alcohols to ketones?
??"
Afaik FeCl
3 is not a strong enough oxidizing agent to reduce alcohols to ketones/aldehydes.