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Preferred IUPAC name
Methanetriol[1] | |
Other names
Orthoformic acid
Trihydroxymethane | |
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Properties | |
Chemical formula
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HC(OH)3 |
Molar mass | 64.040 g·mol−1 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references
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Orthoformic acid or methanetriol is a chemical compound with the formula HC(OH)3. In this molecule, the central carbon atom is bound to one hydrogen and three hydroxyl groups.
Orthoformic acid was long held to be a hypothetical chemical compound, as it was expected to decompose instantly into formic acid and water, making it too unstable to isolate or observe.[2] However, observation was shown to be possible in 2024, when it was identified by mass spectrometry. This involved the electron-irradiation of a frozen mixture of methanol and oxygen.[3]