Merck, 123447-5G, 3,4-Dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione

General description
3,4-dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2 dione, commonly known as squaric acid, is widely used in bioorganic and medicinal chemistry. It is an inhibitor of glyoxylase, semiqauric acid, pyruvate dehrogenase, and transketolase. It is used as a replacement for phosphate in a peptide-based ligand for an SH₂ domain. Its derivatives are high-affinity ligands for excitatory amino acid receptors. These derivatives are also used as dyes for fluorescence detection of small biological molecules.
Application
3,4-Dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione can be used:
In fluorescence detection in immunoassays, hybridization assays, enzymatic reactions, and other analytical procedures.
To form diffraction quality crystals.
To synthesize a squarate dianion, which is used as a building block to create uncharged polymeric networks. These ordered structures are used in catalysis, nonlinear optics, electrical conductivity, molecular recognition, and molecular sieves.