Formation
The main pathway for the production of H3+ is by the reaction of H2+ and H2.
- H2+ + H2 → H3+ + H
The concentration of H2+ is what limits the rate of this reaction. H2+ can only be produced in interstellar space by the ionization of H2 by a cosmic ray.
- H2 + cosmic ray → H2+ + e- + cosmic ray
However, the cosmic ray has so much energy, it is almost unaffected by the relatively small energy required to ionize an H2 molecule. In interstellar clouds, cosmic rays leave behind a trail of H2+, and therefore H3+. In laboratories, H3+ is produced by the same mechanism in plasma discharge cells, with the discharge potential providing the energy to ionize the H2.
Read more about this topic: Trihydrogen Cation
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