The urine becomes dark green in colour owing to the formation of various oxidation products such as pyrocatechin.
All four mono-hydroxyxanthones are known, and are prepared by heating salicylic acid with either resorcin, pyrocatechin or hydroquinone; they are yellow crystalline solids, which act as dyestuffs.
It does not form a precipitate with lead acetate solution, as the isomeric pyrocatechin does.
Many other pyrocatechin derivatives have been suggested for therapeutic application.
Pyrocatechin readily condenses to form heterocyclic compounds; cyclic esters are formed by phosphorus trichloride and oxychloride, carbonyl chloride, sulphuryl chloride, &c.; whilst ortho-phenylenediamine, o-aminophenol, and o-aminothiophenol give phenazine, phenoxazine and thiodiphenylamine.