Orthocarbonic acid

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	CH4O4
Molar mass	80.039 g·mol−1
Related compounds
Other cations	Boric acid; Orthosilicic acid; Orthonitrate; 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 or 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 hydroxy 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 spontaneously into carbonic acid and water:

{\ce {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.

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