Carbon tetroxide explained

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 and oxygen at high temperatures.^[1] The C_2v isomer, which is 138 kJ mol⁻¹ more stable than the D_2d isomer, was first detected in electron-irradiated ices of carbon dioxide via infrared spectroscopy.^[2]

The isovalent carbon tetrasulfide CS₄ is also known from inert gas matrix. It has D_2d symmetry with the same atomic arrangement as CO₄ (D_2d).^[3]

Notes and References

1. Yeung, L. Y. . Okumura, M. . Paci, J. T. . Schatz, G. C. . Zhang, J. . Minton, T. K. . Hyperthermal O-Atom Exchange Reaction O₂ + CO₂ through a CO₄ Intermediate . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 2009 . 131 . 39 . 13940–13942 . 10.1021/ja903944k . 19743846.
2. Corey S. . Jamiesona . Alexander M. . Mebelb . Ralf I. . Kaiser . Novel Detection of the C_2v isomer of carbon tetraoxide (CO₄ . Chemical Physics Letters . 440 . 2007 . 1–3 . 105–109 . 10.1016/j.cplett.2007.04.043 . 2007CPL...440..105J .
3. Maity. Surajit. Kim. Y.S.. Kaiser. Ralf I.. Lin. Hong Mao. Sun. Bian Jian. Chang. A.H.H.. On the detection of higher order carbon sulfides (CS_x; x=4–6) in low temperature carbon disulfide ices. Chemical Physics Letters. July 2013. 577. 42–47. 10.1016/j.cplett.2013.05.039. 2013CPL...577...42M.