Oxalic anhydride
Encyclopedia
Oxalic anhydride or ethanedioic anhydride, also called oxiranedione, is a hypothetical organic compound
with the formula C2O3, which can be viewed as the anhydride of oxalic acid
or the two-fold ketone
of ethylene oxide
. It is an oxide
of carbon
(an oxocarbon
).
The simple compound apparently has yet to be observed (as of 2009). In 1998, however, P. Strazzolini and others have claimed the synthesis of dioxane tetraketone
(C4O6), which can be viewed as the cyclic dimer of oxalic anhydride.
It has been conjectured to be a fleeting intermediate in the thermal decomposition of certain oxalates and certain chemoluminescent reactions of oxalyl chloride
.
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
with the formula C2O3, which can be viewed as the anhydride of oxalic acid
Oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is an organic compound with the formula H2C2O4. This colourless solid is a dicarboxylic acid. In terms of acid strength, it is about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid. Oxalic acid is a reducing agent and its conjugate base, known as oxalate , is a chelating agent for metal cations...
or the two-fold ketone
Ketone
In organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure RCR', where R and R' can be a variety of atoms and groups of atoms. It features a carbonyl group bonded to two other carbon atoms. Many ketones are known and many are of great importance in industry and in biology...
of ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide, also called oxirane, is the organic compound with the formula . It is a cyclic ether. This means that it is composed of two alkyl groups attached to an oxygen atom in a cyclic shape . This colorless flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor is the simplest epoxide, a three-membered...
. It is an oxide
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom in its chemical formula. Metal oxides typically contain an anion of oxygen in the oxidation state of −2....
of carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
(an oxocarbon
Oxocarbon
An oxocarbon or oxide of carbon is an inorganic compound consisting only of carbon and oxygen.The simplest and most common oxocarbons are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide...
).
The simple compound apparently has yet to be observed (as of 2009). In 1998, however, P. Strazzolini and others have claimed the synthesis of dioxane tetraketone
Dioxane tetraketone
Dioxane tetraketone is an organic compound with the formula C4O6. It is an oxide of carbon , which can be viewed as the fourfold ketone of dioxane...
(C4O6), which can be viewed as the cyclic dimer of oxalic anhydride.
It has been conjectured to be a fleeting intermediate in the thermal decomposition of certain oxalates and certain chemoluminescent reactions of oxalyl chloride
Oxalyl chloride
Oxalyl chloride or ethanedioyl dichloride is a chemical compound with the formula 2. This colourless, sharp-smelling liquid, the diacid chloride of oxalic acid, is a useful reagent in organic synthesis...
.