Mellitic anhydride

<p>Mellitic anhydride, the <a href="/facts/Acid_anhydride/0LvHIgAY">anhydride</a> of <a href="/facts/Mellitic_acid/TlMF930S">mellitic acid</a>, is an <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic compound</a> with the formula C12O9.
</p><p>Containing no other elements (e.g., hydrogen) besides carbon and oxygen, mellitic anhydride is an <a href="/facts/Oxide/DXtoVe1C">oxide</a> of <a href="/facts/Carbon/ukrgQexo">carbon</a>  (<a href="/facts/Oxocarbon/LtfIXVv5">oxocarbon</a>), and, along with <a href="/facts/Carbon_dioxide/xGzpppEp">CO2</a>, <a href="/facts/Carbon_monoxide/CKuLtEMJ">CO</a>, and <a href="/facts/Carbon_suboxide/5QnA75MN">C3O2</a>, is one of the only four that are reasonably stable under standard conditions.  It is a white sublimable solid, apparently obtained by <a href="/facts/Justus_Liebig/0vKzMlDA">Justus Liebig</a> and <a href="/facts/Friedrich_W%25C3%25B6hler/D7uh7ySD">Friedrich Wöhler</a> in 1830 in their study of <a href="/facts/Mellite/exWNtyqY">mellite</a> ("honey stone") and has the <a href="/facts/Empirical_formula/xd0vSIlm">empirical formula</a> C4O3. The substance was properly characterized in 1913 by H. Meyer and K. Steiner. It retains the aromatic character of the benzene ring.
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Mellitic anhydride open-in-new

Mellitic anhydride