Tetraoxygen

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The tetraoxygen molecule (O4), also called oxozone, is an allotrope of oxygen consisting of four oxygen atoms.

History

Tetraoxygen was first predicted in 1924 by

GPa) was O4.[3] However, in 2006, it was shown by X-ray crystallography that this stable phase is in fact octaoxygen (O
8).[4] Nevertheless, positively charged tetraoxygen has been detected as a short-lived chemical species in mass spectrometry experiments.[5]

Structure

Theoretical calculations have predicted the existence of

metastable O4 molecules with two different shapes: a "puckered" square like cyclobutane or S4,[6] and a "pinwheel" with three oxygen atoms surrounding a central one in a trigonal planar formation similar to boron trifluoride or sulfur trioxide.[7][8] It was previously pointed out that the "pinwheel" O4 molecule should be the natural continuation of the isoelectronic series BO3−
3, CO2−
3, NO−
3,[9] and analogous to SO3
; that observation served as the basis for the mentioned theoretical calculations.

Theoretical structures of metastable O4.
D2d structure D3h structure

In 2001, a team at the

complex between two O2 molecules, one in the ground state and the other in a specific excited state
.

Absorption bands of O4 e.g. at 360, 477 and 577 nm are frequently used to achieve aerosol inversions in atmospheric optical absorption spectroscopy. Due to the known distribution of O2 and therefore also O4, O4 slant column densities can be used to retrieve aerosol profiles which can then be used again in radiative transfer models to model light paths.[10]

Potential use

Though its use is highly speculative due to its unstable nature, it has been theorized that tetraoxygen could be used as an alternative to traditional liquid oxygen in rocket propulsion. Its higher density—approximately twice that of liquid oxygen—could allow for smaller oxidizer tanks, reducing overall vehicle mass and potentially increasing payload capacity.[11]

See also

References

  1. doi:10.1021/ja01674a008
    .
  2. S2CID 123535786
    .
  3. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.4093
    .
  4. ^ Lars F. Lundegaard, Gunnar Weck, Malcolm I. McMahon, Serge Desgreniers and Paul Loubeyre (2006). "Observation of an O8 molecular lattice in the phase of solid oxygen". Nature. 443 (7108): 201–204.
    S2CID 4384225.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  5. ^ a b Cacace, Fulvio; Giulia de Petris; Anna Troiani (2001). "Experimental Detection of Tetraoxygen". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 40 (21): 4062–4065.
    PMID 12404493
    .
  6. doi:10.1063/1.1288370
    .
  7. ^ Røeggen, I.; E. Wisløff Nilssen (1989). "Prediction of a metastable D3h form of tetra oxygen". Chemical Physics Letters. 157 (5): 409–414.
    doi:10.1016/0009-2614(89)87272-0
    .
  8. doi:10.1016/0009-2614(89)87273-2
    .
  9. ^ Jubert,A.H.; E.L.Varetti (1986). "On the possible existence of the O4 molecule with D3h symmetry". Anales de Química (Spain)82:227-230.
  10. ^ Friess, U. and Monks, P. S. and Remedios, J. J. and Wagner, T. and Platt, U. (2005). "MAX-DOAS O4 measurements: A new technique to derive information on atmospheric aerosols - Retrieval of aerosol properties". Journal of Geophysical Research. 109 (D22): n/a.
    doi:10.1029/2004jd004904.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  11. ^ "Tetraoxygen". Retrieved 2025-02-21.
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