Here is 1 possible dot structure of C2O4:
CO2-O-C=O
CO2 group:
[O-C=O
O=C-O]
And here are some others:
[CO2-CO2]2-
CO2 group:
O-C-O
O-O-CO-CO(in a ring. CO is the carbonyl)
OC-O-CO-O(again, in a ring)
Why is it that on this page here of C2O4:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C2O4that CO2-O-C=O which was my first dot structure isn't included when it also follows the molecular formula? All the formal charge there is is that 1 carbocation and 1 oxyanion. I would guess that it is because a carbocation and an oxyanion would want to react and they would want to form a carbonyl. But then again that oxyanion is in a resonance structure so the negative charge is spread across the 2 O's just like it is in NO2.
and what would that compound represented by my first dot structure be called?
Possible Intramolecular reaction:
CO2-O-C=O
C-O-C-O(in a ring) with 2 carbonyls.
This is the same thing as the 4th possible dot structure I drew.