A Criegee intermediate (also called a Criegee zwitterion or Criegee biradical) is a carbonyl oxide with two charge centers. These chemicals may react with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the earth's atmosphere, and are implicated in the formation of aerosols, which are an important factor in controlling global climate. Criegee intermediates are also an important source of OH (hydroxyl radicals). OH radicals are the most important oxidant in the troposphere, and are important in controlling air quality and pollution.

The formation of this sort of structure was first postulated in the 1950s by Rudolf Criegee, for whom it is named. It was not until 2012 that direct detection of such chemicals was reported. Infrared spectroscopy suggests the electronic structure has a substantially zwitterionic character rather than the biradical character that had previously been proposed.