Formic anhydride can be isolated by low-temperature, low-pressure distillation, but decomposes on heating above room temperature. It decomposes into formic acid and carbon monoxide. The decomposition of formic anhydride may be catalyzed by formic acid. Formic anhydride can be detected in the gas-phase reaction of ozone with ethylene. The molecule is planar in the gas phase. Formic anhydride Formic anhydride, also called methanoic anhydride, is an organic compound with the chemical formula and a structural formula of (H(C=O)−)O. It can be viewed as the anhydride of formic acid (HCOOH). Formic anhydride can be obtained by reaction of formyl fluoride with sodium formate
Trivial name of the dihydrogen monoxide hoax, a document that was circulated warning readers of the dangers of the chemical (for example, it is fatal if inhaled). In organic chemistry, some trivial names derive from a notable property of the thing being named. For instance, lecithin, the common name for phosphatidylcholine, was originally isolated from egg yolk. The word is coined from the Greek λέκιθος (lékithos) for "yolk". Many trivial names continue to be used because their sanctioned equivalents are considered too cumbersome for everyday use. For example, "tartaric acid", a compound found in wine, has a systematic name of 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid.