C2O2

C2O2 is a chemical formula that can refer to several compounds containing two carbon atoms and two oxygen atoms. Because there are multiple possible connectivities for two carbons and two oxygens, C2O2 does not designate a single, well-characterized molecule under standard conditions. The term is mainly used as a formula in discussions of isomeric possibilities and in the study of gas‑phase or matrix-isolated species rather than as a widely isolated compound.

One structurally simple and frequently discussed arrangement is the linear cumulene oxide with the formula O=C=C=O. In this arrangement, the two carbon atoms are linked by a central double bond and each carbon is double-bonded to an oxygen, giving a straight, highly reactive di-oxide. This species is typically described in theoretical work and in studies of transient intermediates; it is not known as a stable, isolable compound at ambient conditions and is regarded as a reactive intermediate in various high-energy or low-temperature environments.

Other possible isomers, including cyclic or peroxo-like arrangements, have been considered in theoretical contexts, but none have achieved wide experimental isolation or characterization under ordinary laboratory conditions. As a result, C2O2 is often discussed in the abstract as a formula for potential two-carbon, two-oxygen species rather than as a well-established molecule with a defined set of physical properties.

In summary, C2O2 denotes a class of two-carbon, two-oxygen species mainly studied as transient intermediates or theoretical constructs, rather than as a stable, commercially important compound.