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oxonium salt
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oxonium salt

chemical compound
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Quick Summary

An oxonium salt is a chemical compound that contains an oxonium ion. The oxonium ion, represented as H3O+, is formed when a hydrogen ion (H+), which is essentially a proton, combines with a water molecule (H2O). This ion is also commonly referred to as the hydronium ion.1

Oxonium ions are key components in acidic solutions. When certain oxygen-containing acids, known as oxyacids, dissolve in water, they release hydronium ions, which are responsible for the acidic properties of the solution. The strength of an oxyacid is determined by how readily it dissociates to form these hydronium ions.2

While the term "oxonium salt" specifically refers to compounds containing the oxonium ion, the broader category of "sulfonium salts" involves sulfur atoms with a positive charge, bonded to three organic groups.3

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. oxyacid
  2. organosulfur compound - Sulfonium and oxosulfonium salts ; sulfur ylides
  3. hydrogen ion

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