oxoniumor

Oxoniumor is a hypothetical chemical species described in theoretical and speculative chemistry as a highly reactive oxonium-centered cation. The name combines the oxonium motif, exemplified by H3O+, with a suffix used in speculative nomenclature for transient species. In proposed formulations, an oxoniumor consists of a protonated oxygen center bound to one or more substituent ligands, yielding a compact, positively charged framework.

Structure and properties: The central motif is an oxonium-like core with coordination to an organic or inorganic ligand. The electronic structure is predicted to be electron-poor at the oxygen and highly electrophilic. Predicted to be short-lived in most environments, oxoniumor may exist in different spin states depending on ligands. Its reactivity includes rapid attack on nucleophiles, rearrangements to related oxocarbenium species, and potential crossover to other protonated oxygen frameworks. Stability is anticipated to improve in very low temperature matrices or under superacidic conditions.

Formation and detection: In computational studies and thought experiments, oxoniumor is proposed to form during extreme protonation events, such as in the presence of strong acids and suitably activating ligands, or during high-energy ion-molecule processes. Experimental detection would rely on gas-phase or matrix isolation techniques, such as mass spectrometry paired with infrared or UV-Visible spectroscopy, to identify characteristic transitions. As of now, there is no unambiguous experimental observation.

Relation to related species and significance: Oxoniumor is related to oxonium ions (H3O+) and to oxocarbenium ions common in organic chemistry. It serves as a conceptual tool to explore proton transfer, extreme electrophilicity, and the limits of oxygen-centered cations in theoretical discussions and pedagogy.