OLIGOMERS AND QUINONES FROM 2,4-DICHLOROPHENOL

Incubation of 2,4-dichlorophenol with a phenol oxidase from the fungus Rhizoctonia practicola caused the formation of several phenolic and quinonoid oligomers. Some of these products were highly reactive and several could be isolated and identified. Mass spectrometric analysis indicated the formation of oligomers up to the pentamer. Two dimeric quinones were identified by mass and NMR spectroscopy as 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-6-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone and 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-1,4-benzoquinone.