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In chemistry, hydronium (hydroxonium in traditional British English) is the cation [H 3 O] +, also written as H 3 O +, the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water.It is often viewed as the positive ion present when an Arrhenius acid is dissolved in water, as Arrhenius acid molecules in solution give up a proton (a positive hydrogen ion, H +) to the surrounding water molecules (H 2 O).
When ammonia is dissolved in water, a tiny amount of it converts to ammonium ions: H 2 O + NH 3 ⇌ OH − + [NH 4] + The degree to which ammonia forms the ammonium ion depends on the pH of the solution. If the pH is low, the equilibrium shifts to the right: more ammonia molecules are converted into ammonium ions.
Extreme acidity, heat, and dehydrating conditions are usually required. Other hydrocarbon oxonium ions are formed by protonation or alkylation of alcohols or ethers (R−C− + −R 1 R 2). Secondary oxonium ions have the formula R 2 OH +, an example being protonated ethers. Tertiary oxonium ions have the formula R 3 O +, an example being ...
The water molecule is amphoteric in aqueous solution. It can either gain a proton to form a hydronium ion H 3 O +, or else lose a proton to form a hydroxide ion OH −. [7] Another possibility is the molecular autoionization reaction between two water molecules, in which one water molecule acts as an acid and another as a base.
The self-ionization of water (also autoionization of water, autoprotolysis of water, autodissociation of water, or simply dissociation of water) is an ionization reaction in pure water or in an aqueous solution, in which a water molecule, H 2 O, deprotonates (loses the nucleus of one of its hydrogen atoms) to become a hydroxide ion, OH −.
In this case, the water molecule is the conjugate acid of the basic hydroxide ion after the latter received the hydrogen ion from ammonium. On the other hand, ammonia is the conjugate base for the acidic ammonium after ammonium has donated a hydrogen ion to produce the water molecule.
Thus, the ammonium ion, NH + 4, in liquid ammonia corresponds to the hydronium ion in water and the amide ion, NH − 2 in ammonia, to the hydroxide ion in water. Ammonium salts behave as acids, and metal amides behave as bases. [10] Some non-aqueous solvents can behave as bases, i.e. accept protons, in relation to Brønsted–Lowry acids.
Protons tunnel across a series of hydrogen bonds between hydronium ions and water molecules.. The Grotthuss mechanism (also known as proton jumping) is a model for the process by which an 'excess' proton or proton defect diffuses through the hydrogen bond network of water molecules or other hydrogen-bonded liquids through the formation and concomitant cleavage of covalent bonds involving ...