The compound gives a light red solution in water,[2] and crystallizes as the glistening bluish-black (but non-conducting) dihydrate C6O2(OH)4·2H2O.

[6] Like most phenols, THBQ is acidic and easily loses the four hydrogen ions from the hydroxyl groups, yielding anions such as C6H2O2−6 and C6O4−6.

[3][7][8][9][10] The dark purple and insoluble dipotassium salt K2C6H2O6 was prepared by Preisler and Berger in 1942, by oxidizing inositol with nitric acid and reacting the result with potassium carbonate in the presence of oxygen.

[11] The black tetrapotassium salt K4C6O6 was prepared by West and Niu in 1962, by reacting THBQ with potassium methoxide in methanol.

The salt is diamagnetic and the infrared spectrum suggests that the C–C and C–O distances are all equal, with the ring slightly distorted in the "chair" conformation.