Cyclobutanetetrone

Cyclobutanetetrone, also called tetraoxocyclobutane, is an organic compound^[1] with formula C₄O₄ or (CO)₄, the fourfold ketone of cyclobutane. It would be an oxide of carbon, indeed a tetramer of carbon monoxide.

Cyclobutanetetrone

Skeletal formula of cyclobutanetetrone
Names
IUPAC name Cyclobutane-1,2,3,4-tetraone[citation needed]
Other names Tetraoxocyclobutane
Identifiers
CAS Number	76719-54-5 N
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	24735246 Y
PubChem CID	5488007
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID10420518
InChI InChI=1S/C4O4/c5-1-2(6)4(8)3(1)7 Y Key: KDAVZOLBYGNLGF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
SMILES O=C1C(=O)C(=O)C1=O
Properties
Chemical formula	C4O4
Molar mass	112.040 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

The compound seems to be thermodynamically unstable.^[2] As of 2000, it had yet to be synthesized in significant amounts^[3][4] but may have transient existence as detected by mass spectrometry.^[5]

Related compounds

Cyclobutanetetrone can be viewed as the neutral counterpart of the squarate anion C
₄O²⁻
₄, which is stable and has been known at least since 1959.^[6]

The compound octahydroxycyclobutane or cyclobutaneoctaol (C(OH)₂)₄ may be referred to in the literature as "hydrated tetraoxocyclobutane".^[7]