Tautomerism of anthraquinones: X. Quinizarin boron complex

Products of reactions of hydroxyanthraquinones with boric acid exist as equilibrium mixtures of tautomeric boron complexes and boric acid esters in which one or two boron atoms are not coordinated to carbonyl groups. Tautomerism is responsible for the appearance of several π_l,π bands in the electronic absorption spectra and considerable differences in the data obtained by different authors. Boron-containing quinizarin derivatives have mostly 1,10-quinoid structures. The use of quinizarin as an analytical reagent for the determination of boron is based on replacement of tautomeric equilibria due to complex formation rather than on coordination-induced red shift of the absorption maximum.