A new crystalline compound, Dlrxylo-t rihydro xycycloh exenediolic acid (oL-xylo-pen ta-h yd rox y-2-cyclohexen-1-on e) (1), has been isola ted from the products of oxidation of myoinositol with nitric acid, and its structme has been establi shed. Compound (1) r educes Tillm a ns reagen t, reacts with iodin e in n eu tral or sli ghtly acidi c solution, produces a blue color with ferric chloride soluti on, and exhibits othe r properti es cha racteri stic of a n en ediolic acid. On catalyt ic reduction , it gives both scyllo-inositol and m yo-inositol. On oxidation, it yields a new t rik eto-inositol, xylo-4,5, 6-trihydroxycyclohexane-1 ,2,3-tri one (II).U nd er acidic cond iti ons, catalytic acetylation of 1 gives two pen taacetates, t he infrared sp ectra of whi ch arc simil a r but n ot id ent ical. One of t hese acetates ex ists in t wo form s, b oth of whi ch , on deacetylation, yield th e pa ren t ac id 1. Th e product form ed by deacetylation of th e othe r pentaacetate has not bee n identifi ed. Benzoylation of I gives a crystallin e p en taben zoate.Unde r basic condition s, acetylation of I proceed s with simultaneous a rom atization, r esultin g in the formation of pentaacetoxybenzene, from whi ch pentah ydrox ybenzene is obtained b y h ydrolys is.xylo-4,5, 6-Trih yd roxycyclohexane-1 ,2,3-trion e (II) gives a crystalline bis(phenylhydrazon e). B y acetylation under basic condi t ion s, it y ields hexaacetoxy ben ze ne.M echanisms are presented for t he a romatization of keto-inositols by en oli zation a nd beta elimin ation-reactions, a nd ce rtain observations reported in t he li teratme a re rationali zed. Infrared and ult raviolet a bso rp t ion spectra a re reported for t he n ew compou nd .