What is the oxidation state of carbon in cyclic #C_2O_3#?

1 Answer
anor277
Oct 29, 2016

As far as I know, this molecule is unknown.

Explanation:

As an hypothetical entity, each carbon atom has an oxidation state of #+III#.

Here, I assumed (reasonably) that the oxidation state of oxygen was #-II#.

Learned later that this is the cyclic anhydride of oxalic acid, i.e. #HO_2C-CO_2H#. It has a fleeting existence, and is a gleam in a spectroscopist's eye.

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