Carbon–oxygen bond

A carbon–oxygen bond is a polar covalent bond between atoms of carbon and oxygen.:16–22 Carbon–oxygen bonds are found in many inorganic compounds such as carbon oxides and oxohalides, carbonates and metal carbonyls, and in organic compounds such as alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds.:32–36 Oxygen has 6 valence electrons of its own and tends to fill its outer shell with 8 electrons by sharing electrons with other atoms to form covalent bonds, accepting electrons to form an anion, or a combination of the two. In neutral compounds, an oxygen atom can form a triple bond with carbon, while a carbon atom can form up to four single bonds or two double bonds with oxygen.