Squaric acid, also called quadratic acid because its four carbon atoms approximately form a square, is a diprotic organic acid with the chemical formula C4O2(OH)2. The conjugate base of squaric acid is the hydrogensquarate anion HC4O − 4 ; and the conjugate base of the hydrogensquarate anion is the divalent squarate anion C4O 2− 4 . This is one of the oxocarbon anions, which consist only of carbon and oxygen. Squaric acid is a reagent for chemical synthesis, used for instance to make photosensitive squaraine dyes and inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases.