metaanhappe

Metaanhappe is a hypothetical chemical compound. Its name suggests a connection to methane, the simplest alkane, and an anhydride, which is a compound formed by the removal of water from two molecules of an acid or one molecule of an acid and one molecule of water. In organic chemistry, anhydrides are typically formed from carboxylic acids.

If metaanhappe were to exist, it would likely be derived from methanoic acid, also known as formic acid, which has the chemical formula HCOOH. Formic acid is the simplest carboxylic acid. The anhydride of formic acid would theoretically be formed by removing one molecule of water from two molecules of formic acid, resulting in the formula C2H2O3 or (HCO)2O. This compound would be unstable.

The term "meta" in chemical nomenclature can sometimes refer to a rearranged or condensed form of a compound. In the context of anhydrides, "meta" might imply a different linkage than a simple symmetrical anhydride. However, for simple carboxylic acids like formic acid, the straightforward symmetrical anhydride is the most commonly considered derivative.

Due to the high reactivity and instability of simple organic anhydrides, particularly those derived from very short-chain carboxylic acids, metaanhappe is not a recognized or commonly synthesized compound in mainstream chemistry. Its existence and properties are largely speculative and would be of interest primarily in theoretical chemical studies concerning reaction mechanisms and compound stability.