A dication is any cation, of general formula X2+, formed by the removal of two electrons from a neutral species.
Diatomic dications corresponding to stable neutral species (e.g. H2+
2 formed by removal of two electrons from H2) often decay quickly into two singly charged particles (H+), due to the loss of electrons in bonding molecular orbitals. Energy levels of diatomic dications can be studied with good resolution by measuring the yield of pairs of zero-kinetic-energy electrons from double photoionization of a molecule as a function of the photoionizing wavelength (threshold photoelectrons coincidence spectroscopy – TPEsCO). The He2+
2 dication is kinetically stable.
An example of a stable diatomic dication which is not formed by oxidation of a neutral diatomic molecule is the dimercury dication Hg2+
2. An example of a polyatomic dication is S2+
8, formed by oxidation of S8 and unstable with respect to further oxidation over time to form SO2.
Many organic dications can be detected in mass spectrometry for example CH2+
4 (a CH2+
2·H
2 complex) and the acetylene dication C
2H2+
2.[1] The adamantyl dication has been synthesized.[2]
- ^ Lammertsma, K.; von Ragué Schleyer, P.; Schwarz, H. (1989). "Organic Dications: Gas Phase Experiments and Theory in Concert". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 28 (10): 1321–1341. doi:10.1002/anie.198913211.
- ^ Bremer, Matthias; von Ragué Schleyer, Paul; Schötz, Karl; Kausch, Michael; Schindler, Michael (August 1987). "Four-Center Two-Electron Bonding in a Tetrahedral Topology. Experimental Realization of Three-Dimensional Homoaromaticity in the 1,3-Dehydro-5,7-adamantanediyl Dication". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 26 (8): 761–763. doi:10.1002/anie.198707611. ISSN 0570-0833.