Onium compounds, or onium ions, are cations derived by the protonation of mononuclear parent hydrides of elements of the nitrogen group (Group 15), chalcogens (Group 16), or halogens (Group 17), and similar cations derived by the substitution of hydrogen atoms in the former by other groups, such as organic radicals, or halogens, for example tetramethylammonium, and further derivatives having polyvalent additions, such as iminium and nitrilium. (IUPAC definition ; other definitions vary.)
Compounds of these ions are known as onium salts. Onium ions have a charge of +1; double onium ions have a charge of +2, and so on.
Read more about Onium Compounds: Onium Cations With Monovalent Substitutions, Onium Cations With Polyvalent Substitutions, Double-onium Dications, Unusual Onium Cations
Famous quotes containing the word compounds:
“We can come up with a working definition of life, which is what we did for the Viking mission to Mars. We said we could think in terms of a large molecule made up of carbon compounds that can replicate, or make copies of itself, and metabolize food and energy. So that’s the thought: macrocolecule, metabolism, replication.”
—Cyril Ponnamperuma (b. 1923)