Methylene (compound)

Methylene
Names
	IUPAC name Dihydridocarbon(2•)
	Preferred IUPAC name Methylidene
	Other names Dihydridocarbon; Carbene; Methylene; Methene
Identifiers
CAS Number	2465-56-7;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Beilstein Reference	1696832
ChEBI	CHEBI:29357 ;
ChemSpider	109779 ;
Gmelin Reference	56
MeSH	carbene
PubChem CID	123164;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID50179391 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/CH2/h1H2 Key: HZVOZRGWRWCICA-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
	SMILES [CH2];
Properties
Chemical formula	CH; 22•
Molar mass	14.0266 g/mol
Appearance	Colourless gas
Solubility in water	Reacts
Conjugate acid	Methenium
Thermochemistry
Std molar; entropy (S⦵298)	193.93 J/(K⋅mol)
Std enthalpy of; formation (ΔfH⦵298)	386.39 kJ/mol
Related compounds
Related compounds	Methyl (CH3); Methylidyne (CH); Carbide (C); Silylene (SiH2)
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Methylene (IUPAC name: methylidene, also called carbene or methene) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH
₂ (also written [CH
₂] and not to be confused with compressed hydrogen, which is also denoted CH
₂). It is a colourless gas that fluoresces in the mid-infrared range, and only persists in dilution, or as an adduct.

Methylene is the simplest carbene.^: p.7 It is usually detected only at very low temperatures or as a short-lived intermediate in chemical reactions.