Orthocarbonic acid

Orthocarbonic acid
Stereo skeletal formula of orthocarbonic acid	Ball and stick model of orthocarbonic acid
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name Methanetetrol
	Systematic IUPAC name Orthocarbonic acid
Identifiers
CAS Number	463-84-3 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChemSpider	7826887 ;
PubChem CID	9547954;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID40429519 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/CH4O4/c2-1(3,4)5/h2-5H Key: RXCVUXLCNLVYIA-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
	SMILES OC(O)(O)O;
Properties
Chemical formula	C(OH)4
Molar mass	80.039 g·mol−1
Related compounds
Other cations	Orthosilicic acid; Orthogermanic acid; Tin(IV) hydroxide; Lead(IV) hydroxide; Titanic acid; Zirconium(IV) hydroxide; Beryllic acid; Boric acid; Aluminic acid; Gallium(III) hydroxide; Indium(III) hydroxide; Thallium(III) hydroxide; Zinc hydroxide; Orthonitrate; Phosphorous acid; Telluric acid;
Related compounds	Tetramethoxymethane; Tetraethoxymethane; Tetrapropoxymethane; Tetraphenyl orthocarbonate; Orthoformic acid;
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Orthocarbonic acid, carbon hydroxide, methanetetrol is the name given to a hypothetical compound with the chemical formula H₄CO₄ or C(OH)₄. Its molecular structure consists of a single carbon atom bonded to four hydroxyl groups. It would be therefore a fourfold alcohol. In theory it could lose four protons to give the hypothetical oxocarbon anion orthocarbonate CO4−4, and is therefore considered an oxoacid of carbon.

Orthocarbonic acid is highly unstable. Calculations show that it decomposes into carbonic acid and water:^[2]^[3]

H₄CO₄ → H₂CO₃ + H₂O

Orthocarbonic acid is one of the group of ortho acids that have the general structure of RC(OH)₃. The term ortho acid is also used to refer to the most hydroxylated acid in a set of oxoacids.

Researchers predict that orthocarbonic acid is stable at high pressure; hence it may form in the interior of the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune, where water and methane are common.^[4]

^ "Methanetetrol - PubChem Public Chemical Database". The PubChem Project. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information.
^ Bohm S.; Antipova D.; Kuthan J. (1997). "A Study of Methanetetraol Dehydration to Carbonic Acid". International Journal of Quantum Chemistry. 62 (3): 315–322. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-461X(1997)62:3<315::AID-QUA10>3.0.CO;2-8.
^ Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives Archived 2017-09-13 at the Wayback Machine IUPAC Recommendations on Organic & Biochemical Nomenclature
^ G. Saleh; A. R. Oganov (2016). "Novel Stable Compounds in the C-H-O Ternary System at High Pressure". Scientific Reports. 6: 32486. Bibcode:2016NatSR...632486S. doi:10.1038/srep32486. PMC 5007508. PMID 27580525.

[1] "Methanetetrol - PubChem Public Chemical Database". The PubChem Project. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information.

[Bohm1997-2] Bohm S.; Antipova D.; Kuthan J. (1997). "A Study of Methanetetraol Dehydration to Carbonic Acid". International Journal of Quantum Chemistry. 62 (3): 315–322. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-461X(1997)62:3<315::AID-QUA10>3.0.CO;2-8.

[3] Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives Archived 2017-09-13 at the Wayback Machine IUPAC Recommendations on Organic & Biochemical Nomenclature

[Saleh-Scirep-4] G. Saleh; A. R. Oganov (2016). "Novel Stable Compounds in the C-H-O Ternary System at High Pressure". Scientific Reports. 6: 32486. Bibcode:2016NatSR...632486S. doi:10.1038/srep32486. PMC 5007508. PMID 27580525.

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