Carbonate ester
![Chemical structure of the carbonate ester group.](/Images/godic/202501/03/Carbonate_ester5037.png")
A carbonate ester (organic carbonate or organocarbonate) is an ester of carbonic acid. This functional group consists of a carbonyl group flanked by two alkoxy groups. The general structure of these carbonates is R1O(C=O)OR2 and they are related to esters R1O(C=O)R and ethers R1OR2 and also to the inorganic carbonates.