CNO- The isomeric fulminate ion, CNO (Figure 3-5), can be drawn with thee similar
structures, but the resulting formal charges are unlikely. Because the order of electronegativities
is C < N < 0, none of these are plausible structures and the ion is predicted to be unstable.
The only common fulminate salts are of mercury and silver; both are explosive. Fulminic acid is
linear HCNO in the vapor phase, consistent with structure C, and coordination complexes of
CNO with many transition metal ions are known with MCNO stuctures.