Ethanium

Ethanium (C
2
H+
7
)

In chemistry, ethanium or protonated ethane is a highly reactive positive ion with formula C
2
H+
7
. It can be described as a molecule of ethane (C
2
H
6
) with one extra proton (hydrogen nucleus), that gives it a +1 electric charge.

Ethanium is one of the simplest carbonium ions (after methanium CH+
5
). It was first detected as a rarefied gas in 1960 by S. Wexler and N. Jesse.[1] It easily dissociates into ethenium C
2
H+
5
and molecular hydrogen H
2
.

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