Benzoquinone is soluble in ethanol, ether and alkali, slightly soluble in water, and can sublimate. Its vapor is easy to volatilize and partially decompose, with a pungent odor similar to chlorine. Benzoquinone can be used for qualitative determination of carvacaine, pyridine, azacene, tyrosine and hydroquinone. It can also be used for manufacturing hydroquinone and dye intermediates, rubber antioxidant, polymerization initiator of acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate, chlorination agent, etc. Benzoquinone can also be used as polymerization inhibitor of styrene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, unsaturated polyester resin and other monomers. Its polymerization inhibition and heat resistance are better than hydroquinone. It is also an initiator of acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate polymerization, and an antioxidant of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, food and other organic compounds. It is also used as leather tanning agent, photographic developer, dyestuff, pharmaceutical and cosmetic raw materials. In addition, benzoquinone is a common oxidant or dehydrogenation reagent, because it can be easily reduced to hydroquinone by other compounds, so it can show oxidation activity. The oxidation potential of 1,4-benzoquinone determines that 1,4-benzoquinone can selectively oxidize the conjugated primary allyl alcohol in the presence of multiple alcohols, such as cinnamyl alcohol to cinnamaldehyde in the presence of secondary alcohol and benzyl alcohol. In addition, using 1,4-benzoquinone as dehydrogenation reagent and hydrated zirconia as catalyst can also realize the oxidation of primary alcohol.