| Abstract: | In agreement with the aromaticity and electrophilic behavior of squaric acid, a cyclobutenediyliumtetroxide ion is formulated as a limiting form of the squarate dianion. These views are confirmed by the structure of a series of new compounds that are readily obtainable from squaric acid or its derivatives, and most of which are deeply colored. The compounds contain the cyclobutenediyliumdioxide grouping as the chromophore, and form a new class of dyes, for which the name cyclobutenediylium dyes is proposed. |
