Oxalic anhydride

Oxalic anhydride or ethanedioic anhydride, also called oxiranedione, is a hypothetical organic compound, one of several isomers having the formula C₂O₃ that have been studied computationally. It 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).

Oxalic anhydride

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Oxiranedione
Other names oxalic anhydride ethanedioic anhydride
Identifiers
CAS Number	308818-63-5 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	13693079 Y
PubChem CID	23297885
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID00632683
InChI InChI=1S/C2O3/c3-1-2(4)5-1 Y Key: PFPYHYZFFJJQFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/C2O3/c3-1-2(4)5-1 Key: PFPYHYZFFJJQFD-UHFFFAOYAE
SMILES O=C1OC1=O
Properties
Chemical formula	C2O3
Molar mass	72.019 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Y verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

The simple compound apparently has yet to be observed (as of 2009). In 1998, however, Paolo Strazzolini and others have claimed the synthesis of dioxane tetraketone (C₄O₆), which can be viewed as the cyclic dimer of oxalic anhydride.^[1]

It has been conjectured to be a fleeting intermediate in the thermal decomposition of certain oxalates^[2] and certain chemoluminescent reactions of oxalyl chloride.^[3]

See also

• 1,2-dioxetanedione
• α-acetolactone