Cyclopentadienone

Cyclopentadienone is an organic compound with molecular formula C5H4O. The parent cyclopentadienone is rarely encountered, because it rapidly dimerizes. Many substituted derivatives are known, notably tetraphenylcyclopentadienone. Such compounds are used as ligands in organometallic chemistry.

Preparation
Cyclopentadienone can be generated by the photolysis or pyrolysis of various substances (e.g. 1,2-benzoquinone ), and then isolated in an argon matrix at 10 K. It dimerizes readily upon thawing the matrix at 38 K.