History:
– Humans controlled fire circa 800,000 BC
– Early metallurgy caused carbon monoxide exposure
– Indigenous Native Americans used carbon monoxide in rituals
– Aristotle noted toxic fumes from burning coals
– Galen speculated on air composition causing harm
Prehistory:
– Stahl mentioned toxic vapors as carbon monoxide in 1697
– Hoffmann studied carbon monoxide poisoning from coal in 1716
– Boerhaave experimented with carbon monoxide effects on animals in the 1730s
– Priestley synthesized carbon monoxide in 1772
– Scheele isolated carbon monoxide from charcoal in 1773
Ancient history:
– Mythological tales explained fire’s origin
– Aristotle and Galen studied coal fume toxicity
– Cleopatra may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning
– Knowledge of carbon monoxide toxicity developed in ancient times
– Early civilizations associated fire with carbon monoxide
Pre-industrial revolution:
– Bergman isolated carbon monoxide from oxalic acid in 1775
– Lassonefr produced CO by heating zinc oxide with coke in 1776
– Cruickshank identified the gas as a compound of carbon and oxygen in 1800
– Beddoes and Watt suggested carbon monoxide brightened venous blood in 1793
– Bernard and Hoppe-Seyler studied the mechanism of carbon monoxide poisoning in the mid-1800s
Advent of industrial chemistry:
– Carbon monoxide used as a reagent in the 1900s
– Fischer–Tropsch process converts carbon-rich feedstocks into liquid fuels using CO
– Carbon monoxide plays a crucial role in industrial processes
– Development of industrial chemistry increased the importance of carbon monoxide
– Carbon monoxide’s significance grew in the industrial sector
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simplest carbon oxide. In coordination complexes, the carbon monoxide ligand is called carbonyl. It is a key ingredient in many processes in industrial chemistry.
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| Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IUPAC name Carbon monoxide | |||
| Other names Carbonic oxide gas Carbon protoxide Oxide of carbon Protoxide of carbon Carbonous oxide Carbonous acid gas Carbon(II) oxide Breath of carbon Oxygenated carbon Carbate Carbonyl Water gas Hydrocarbon gas Fuel gas Rauchgas Carbonic inflammable air Heavy inflammable air White damp Fire Damp Powder Gas Illuminating gas Dowson gas Mond gas Power gas Producer gas Blast furnace gas Coal gas Phlogiston Car gas | |||
| Identifiers | |||
3D model (JSmol) | |||
| 3587264 | |||
| ChEBI | |||
| ChEMBL | |||
| ChemSpider | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.010.118 | ||
| EC Number |
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| 421 | |||
| KEGG | |||
| MeSH | Carbon+monoxide | ||
PubChem CID | |||
| RTECS number |
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| UNII | |||
| UN number | 1016 | ||
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |||
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| Properties | |||
| CO | |||
| Molar mass | 28.010 g·mol−1 | ||
| Appearance | Colorless | ||
| Odor | Odorless | ||
| Density |
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| Melting point | −205.02 °C (−337.04 °F; 68.13 K) | ||
| Boiling point | −191.5 °C (−312.7 °F; 81.6 K) | ||
| 27.6 mg/L (25 °C) | |||
| Solubility | soluble in chloroform, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ethanol, ammonium hydroxide, benzene | ||
Henry's law constant (kH) | 1.04 atm·m3/mol | ||
| −9.8·10−6 cm3/mol | |||
Refractive index (nD) | 1.0003364 | ||
| 0.122 D | |||
| Thermochemistry | |||
Heat capacity (C) | 29.1 J/(K·mol) | ||
Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 197.7 J/(K·mol) | ||
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | −110.5 kJ/mol | ||
Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) | −283.0 kJ/mol | ||
| Pharmacology | |||
| V04CX08 (WHO) | |||
| Hazards | |||
| Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |||
Main hazards | Poisonous by inhalation | ||
| GHS labelling: | |||
   | |||
| Danger | |||
| H220, H331, H360, H372, H420 | |||
| P201, P202, P210, P251, P260, P261, P264, P270, P281, P304+P340, P308+P313, P311, P314, P321, P377, P381, P403, P403+P233, P405, P501 | |||
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
| Flash point | −191 °C (−311.8 °F; 82.1 K) | ||
| 609 °C (1,128 °F; 882 K) | |||
| Explosive limits | 12.5–74.2% | ||
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |||
LC50 (median concentration) |
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LCLo (lowest published) |
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| NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |||
PEL (Permissible) | TWA 50 ppm (55 mg/m3) | ||
REL (Recommended) |
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IDLH (Immediate danger) | 1200 ppm | ||
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | ICSC 0023 | ||
Other anions | Carbon monosulfide | ||
Other cations | Silicon monoxide Germanium monoxide Tin(II) oxide Lead(II) oxide | ||
Related carbon oxides | Carbon dioxide Carbon suboxide Oxocarbons | ||
| Supplementary data page | |||
| Carbon monoxide (data page) | |||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |||
The most common source of carbon monoxide is the partial combustion of carbon-containing compounds. Numerous environmental and biological sources generate carbon monoxide. In industry, carbon monoxide is important in the production of many compounds, including drugs, fragrances, and fuels. Upon emission into the atmosphere, carbon monoxide affects several processes that contribute to climate change.
Carbon monoxide has important biological roles across phylogenetic kingdoms. It is produced by many organisms, including humans. In mammalian physiology, carbon monoxide is a classical example of hormesis where low concentrations serve as an endogenous neurotransmitter (gasotransmitter) and high concentrations are toxic resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning. It is isoelectronic with both cyanide anion CN− and molecular nitrogen N2.
