Carbon tetroxide or Oxygen carbonate ''(in its C
2v isomer)'' is a highly unstable
oxide of carbon with formula . It was proposed as an intermediate in the O-atom exchange between
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
() and
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...
() at high temperatures. The C
2v isomer
In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers.
Iso ...
, which is 138 kJ mol
−1 more stable than the D
2d isomer, was first detected in electron-irradiated ices of
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
via
infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy or vibrational spectroscopy) is the measurement of the interaction of infrared radiation with matter by absorption, emission, or reflection. It is used to study and identify chemical substances or function ...
.
![Carbon tetroxide D2d](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Carbon_tetroxide_D2d.svg)
The isovalent
carbon tetrasulfide CS
4 is also known from
inert gas
An inert gas is a gas that does not readily undergo chemical reactions with other chemical substances and therefore does not readily form chemical compounds. The noble gases often do not react with many substances and were historically referred to ...
matrix. It has D
2d symmetry with the same atomic arrangement as CO
4 (D
2d).
References
Oxocarbons
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