onium ion

{{Short description|Class of positively-charged molecules}}

{{Distinguish|text=onium states such as positronium}}

In chemistry, an onium ion is a cation formally obtained by the protonation of mononuclear parent hydride of a pnictogen (group 15 of the periodic table), chalcogen (group 16), or halogen (group 17). The oldest-known onium ion, and the namesake for the class, is ammonium, {{chem2|NH4+}}, the protonated derivative of ammonia, {{chem2|NH3}}.

The name onium is also used for cations that would result from the substitution of hydrogen atoms in those ions by other groups, such as organic groups, or halogens; such as tetraphenylphosphonium, {{chem2|(C6H5)4P+}}. The substituent groups may be divalent or trivalent, yielding ions such as iminium and nitrilium.

A simple onium ion has a charge of +1. A larger ion that has two onium ion subgroups is called a double onium ion, and has a charge of +2. A triple onium ion has a charge of +3, and so on.

Compounds of an onium cation and some other anion are known as onium compounds or onium salts.

Onium ions and onium compounds are inversely analogous to {{nowrap|-ate}} ions and ate complexes:

  • Lewis bases form onium ions when the central atom gains one more bond and becomes a positive cation.
  • Lewis acids form {{nowrap|-ate}} ions when the central atom gains one more bond and becomes a negative anion.Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions and mechanisms, Maya Shankar Singh, 2007, Dorling Kindersley, {{ISBN|978-81-317-1107-1}}

Simple onium cations (hydrides with no substitutions)

= [[Boron group|Group 13]] (boron group) onium cations =

  • boronium cation, {{chem2|BH4+}} (protonated borane)
  • further boronium cations, {{chem|B|x|H|y|+}} (protonated boranes)

= [[Carbon group|Group 14]] (carbon group) onium cations =

=[[Pnictogen|Group 15]] (pnictogen) onium cations=

=[[Chalcogen|Group 16]] (chalcogen) onium cations=

=Hydrogen onium cation=

=[[Halogen|Group 17]] (halogen) onium cations, [[halonium ion]]s, {{chem2|H2X+}} (protonated [[hydrogen halide]]s)=

==[[Pseudohalogen]] onium cations==

=[[Noble gas|Group 18]] (noble gas) onium cations=

Onium cations with monovalent substitutions

Onium cations with polyvalent substitutions

  • secondary ammonium cations having one double-bonded substitution, {{chem2|R\dNH2+}}
  • diazenium, {{chem2|HN\dNH2+}} (protonated diazene)
  • guanidinium, {{chem2|C(NH2)3+}} (protonated guanidine) (has a resonance structure and a planar molecular geometry)
  • tertiary ammonium cations having one triple-bonded substitution, R≡NH+
  • nitrilium, {{chem2|R\sC\tNH+}} (protonated nitrile)
  • diazonium or diazynium, {{chem2|N\tNH+}} (protonated nitrogen, in other words, protonated diazyne)
  • cyclic tertiary ammonium cations where nitrogen is a member of a ring, {{chem2|RNH+R}} (the ring may be aromatic)
  • pyridinium, {{chem2|C5H5NH+}} (protonated pyridine)
  • quaternary ammonium cations having one double-bonded substitution and two single-bonded substitutions, {{chem2|R\dNR2+}}
  • iminium, {{chem2|R2C\dNR2+}} (substituted protonated imine)
  • diazenium, {{chem2|RN\dNR2+}} (substituted protonated diazene)
  • thiazolium, {{chem2|[C3NSR4]+}}(substituted protonated thiazole)
  • quaternary ammonium cations having two double-bonded substitutions, {{chem2|R\dN+\dR}}
  • nitronium, {{chem2|[NO2]+}}
  • bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium, {{chem2|((C6H5)3P\d)2N+}}
  • quaternary ammonium cations having one triple-bonded substitution and one single-bonded substitution, {{chem2|R\tNR+}}
  • diazonium, {{chem2|N\tNR+}} (substituted protonated nitrogen, in other words, substituted protonated diazyne)
  • nitrilium, {{chem2|RC\tNR+}} (substituted protonated nitrile)
  • tertiary oxonium cations having one triple-bonded substitution, {{chem2|R\tO+}}
  • acylium ions, {{chem2|R\sC\tO+ ↔ R\sC+\dO}}
  • nitrosonium, {{chem2|N\tO+}}
  • cyclic tertiary oxonium cations where oxygen is a member of a ring, {{chem2|RO+R}} (the ring may be aromatic)
  • pyrylium, {{chem2|C5H5O+}}
  • tertiary sulfonium cations having one triple-bonded substitution, {{chem2|R\tS+}}
  • thionitrosyl, {{chem2|N\tS+}}
  • dihydroxyoxoammonium, {{chem2|[H2NO3]+}} (protonated nitric acid)
  • trihydroxyoxosulfonium, {{chem2|[H3SO4]+}} (protonated sulfuric acid)

Double onium dications

Enium cations

The extra bond is added to a less-common parent hydride, a carbene analog, typically named -ene or -ylene, which is neutral with 2 fewer bonds than the more-common hydride, typically named -ane or -ine.

=Substituted eniums=

  • diphenylcarbenium, {{chem2|(C6H5)2CH+}} (di-substituted methenium)
  • triphenylcarbenium, {{chem2|(C6H5)3C+}} (tri-substituted methenium)

Ynium cations

See also

References

{{Reflist|refs=

[https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/O04291 Onium compounds], IUPAC Gold Book

{{cite book |author=George A. Olah |year=1998 |title=Onium Ions |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |pages=509 |isbn=9780471148777}}

}}