1,3-Dioxetane

1,3-Dioxetane
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name 1,3-Dioxetane
	Other names 1,3-Dioxacyclobutane
Identifiers
CAS Number	287-50-3 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image; Interactive image;
ChemSpider	126850 ;
PubChem CID	143777;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID40210146 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C2H4O2/c1-3-2-4-1/h1-2H2 Key: GFAJOMHUNNCCJQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; InChI=1/C2H4O2/c1-3-2-4-1/h1-2H2 Key: GFAJOMHUNNCCJQ-UHFFFAOYAT;
	SMILES C1OCO1; O1COC1;
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H4O2
Molar mass	60.052 g·mol−1
	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

1,3-Dioxetane (1,3-dioxacyclobutane) is a heterocyclic organic compound with formula C₂O₂H₄, whose backbone is a four-member ring of alternating oxygen and carbon atoms. It can be viewed as a dimer of formaldehyde (COH₂).

Derivatives of 1,3-dioxetane are rarely encountered as intermediates in the literature. Usually, they are prepared via [2+2] cycloadditions of two carbonyl compounds. Molecular orbital theory calculations suggest that they should be more stable than the 1,2-isomers, which are more intensively studied.