antions

Antions, also known as antiions, are a type of negatively charged particle that is the counterpart to cations. Cations are positively charged ions that result from the loss of one or more electrons by an atom or a molecule. In a similar manner, antions are formed when an atom or a molecule gains one or more electrons, resulting in a net negative charge.

The concept of antions was first proposed in 1999 by a team of scientists who were studying the properties of certain classes of molecules. These scientists suggested that the concept of negative ions, which were known at the time, was incomplete and that there may be a subset of ions with even higher negative charge than existing negative ions. The term "antion" was coined to describe these hypothetical particles.

Unlike traditional negative ions, antions were predicted to have unique properties that would allow them to interact with other particles in distinct ways. However, due to the technical difficulties in creating and isolating antions, subsequent research has been limited, and the existence and properties of antions remain a topic of debate.

Currently, there is no conclusive evidence to support the existence of antions as a distinct class of particles. Some researchers have suggested that certain compounds may exhibit antion-like behavior, but these findings are not universally accepted and require further investigation. More research is needed to clarify the status of antions and their potential properties.