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carbon suboxide

chemical compound

Quick Summary

Carbon suboxide (C₃O₂) is a chemical compound that is a gas with an extremely unpleasant odor. It is one of the three oxides of carbon, alongside carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Carbon suboxide can be prepared by the dehydration of malonic acid. It is a linear, symmetrical molecule with the structure O=C=C=C=O. At room temperature, it is unstable and polymerizes into colored solids, but it is stable at very low temperatures. Under ultraviolet light, it decomposes into ketene. As the acid anhydride of malonic acid, it reacts with water to produce malonic acid.123

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