Tetracarbon dioxide
Encyclopedia
Tetracarbon dioxide is an oxide of carbon
, a chemical compound
of carbon
and oxygen
, with chemical formula C4O2 or O=C=C=C=C=O. It can be regarded as butatriene dione, the double ketone
of butatriene — more precisely 1,2,3-butatriene-1,4-dione.
Butatriene dione is the fourth member of the family of linear carbon dioxides O(=C)n=O, that includes carbon dioxide
CO2 or O=C=O, ethylene dione
C2O2 or O=C=C=O, carbon suboxide
C3O2 or O=C=C=C=O, pentacarbon dioxide
C5O2 O(=C)5=O, and so on.
The compound was obtained in 1990 by Maier and others, by flash pyrolysis of cyclic azaketones in a frozen argon matrix
. It was also obtained in the same year by Sülzle and Schwartz through impact ionization
of ((CH3-)2(C4O2)(=O)2=)2 in the gas phase. Although theoretical studies indicated that the even-numbered members of the O(=C)n=O family should be inherently unstable, C4O2 is indefinitely stable in the matrix, but is decomposed by light into tricarbon monoxide C3O and carbon monoxide
CO.. It has a triplet
ground state.
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...
, a chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
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...
and oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
, with chemical formula C4O2 or O=C=C=C=C=O. It can be regarded as butatriene dione, the double 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 butatriene — more precisely 1,2,3-butatriene-1,4-dione.
Butatriene dione is the fourth member of the family of linear carbon dioxides O(=C)n=O, that includes carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
CO2 or O=C=O, ethylene dione
Ethylene dione
Ethylene dione or ethylenedione, also called dicarbon dioxide, ethenedione, or ethene 1,2-dione, is the name given to a hypothetical chemical compound with the formula C2O2 or O=C=C=O. It would be an oxide of carbon , specifically a dimer of carbon monoxide...
C2O2 or O=C=C=O, carbon suboxide
Carbon suboxide
Carbon suboxide, or tricarbon dioxide, is an oxide of carbon with chemical formula C3O2 or O=C=C=C=O. Its four cumulative double bonds make it a cumulene...
C3O2 or O=C=C=C=O, pentacarbon dioxide
Pentacarbon dioxide
Pentacarbon dioxide, officially penta-1,2,3,4-tetraene-1,5-dione, is an oxide of carbon with formula C5O2 or O=C=C=C=C=C=O....
C5O2 O(=C)5=O, and so on.
The compound was obtained in 1990 by Maier and others, by flash pyrolysis of cyclic azaketones in a frozen argon matrix
Matrix Isolation
Matrix isolation is an experimental technique used in chemistry and physics which generally involves a material being trapped within an unreactive matrix. A host matrix is a continuous solid phase in which guest particles are embedded. The guest is said to be isolated within the host matrix...
. It was also obtained in the same year by Sülzle and Schwartz through impact ionization
Ionization
Ionization is the process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by adding or removing charged particles such as electrons or other ions. This is often confused with dissociation. A substance may dissociate without necessarily producing ions. As an example, the molecules of table sugar...
of ((CH3-)2(C4O2)(=O)2=)2 in the gas phase. Although theoretical studies indicated that the even-numbered members of the O(=C)n=O family should be inherently unstable, C4O2 is indefinitely stable in the matrix, but is decomposed by light into tricarbon monoxide C3O and carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
CO.. It has a triplet
Triplet
-Science:* A series of three nucleotide bases that form Genetic code* J-coupling as part of NMR spectroscopy* Opal in preparation to be a gemstone* Spin triplet in quantum mechanics — as in triplet oxygen, or simply triplet state in general....
ground state.