1,2-Bis(dicyanomethylene)squarate is a divalent anion with chemical formula or ((N≡C−)2C=)2(C4O2)2−. It is one of the pseudo-oxocarbon anions, as it can be described as a derivative of the squarate oxocarbon anion through the replacement of two adjacent oxygen atoms by dicyanomethylene groups =C(−C≡N)2. The anion can be obtained by reacting squaric acid with n-butanol to obtain the diester 1,2-dibutyl squarate (an oily orange liquid) and treating the latter with metallic sodium and malononitrile (N≡C−)2CH2 to give the trihydrated disodium salt 2Na+··3H2O, a yellow water-soluble solid. The hydrated salt loses the water below 100 °C, but the resulting anhydrous salt is stable up to 400 °C. Reaction of the sodium salt with the chlorides of other cations in ethanol affords the following salts: Nuclear magnetic resonance shows that the aromatic character of the squarate core is retained.