Newsgroups: sci.chem
Followup-To: sci.chem
From: sto...@src.dec.com (Jorge Stolfi)
Date: 7 Nov 91 08:31:45 GMT
Local: Thurs, Nov 7 1991 3:31 am
Subject: Oxides of carbon
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Speaking of carbonyls and CO, how many carbon oxides are there?

In high school I learned only of the monoxide (CO) and dioxide (CO2).
A few years ago, to my surprise, learned there is also the suboxide
(C3O2, or O=C=C=C=O).  Are there any others?

I recently read of a thing called "rhodizonic acid", H2C6O6 or

          O    O
           C--C
          /    \
        OC      CO
          \    /
           C==C
         HO    OH

It seems that the potassium salt K+2 C6O6-- is stable enough to be
listed in chemical catalogs.  Note that the negative ion contains
no hydrogen, so it could be considered an inorganic ion, like
the carbonate (CO3--).

Removing the two hydrogens from the acid would give yet another
"carbon oxide", namely C6O6 (cyclohexenehexone?).  Could this
compound be stable at room temperature?  In Pluto's crust?  
In interstellar dust grains?

More generally, I can imagine an infinite sequence of cyclic
polymers of CO, starting with CO itself, then

                  CO      
                 /|       OC--CO
    O=C=C=O ,  OC |  ,     |  | ,  
                 \|       OC--CO
                  CO

etc.  Could any of these be stable enough to be "real"?  

What about "infinite" chains

         O   O   O   O
         C   C   C   C
   ...  / \ / \ / \ / \ ...
           C   C   C
           O   O   O

(with suitable terminators)?

National Enquirer mind wants to know...

Jorge Stolfi (sto...@src.dec.com, ...!decwrl!stolfi)
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DISCLAIMER: My opinions are just that, opinions.