Does #"H"_4"O"_2^(+)# exist in water?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Oct 21, 2017

No, because the charge is not conserved...

#"H"_4"O"_2^(+)# does not exist. It would require the 1-electron ionization of ony one water and then its interaction with another water, and that doesn't make any sense. It would make more sense to form:

  • #"H"_5"O"_2^(+)# (i.e. the Zundel cation)
  • #"H"_7"O"_3^(+)#
  • #"H"_9"O"_4^(+)# (i.e. the Eigen cation)

etc.

http://d29qn7q9z0j1p6.cloudfront.net/content/roypta/372/2011/20120482/F3.large.jpg

But we only need to speak of #"H"_3"O"^(+)#. We care more about their applicability to equilibria than how many hydronium are locally interacting with a water molecule...

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