What is Ion?

An ion is an atom or molecule which has lost or gained one or more electrons, making it positively or negatively charged. A negatively charged ion, which has more electrons in its electron shells than it has protons in its nuclei, is known as an anion (pronounced [ˈænaɪən]; an-eye-on) due to its attraction to anodes. Conversely, a positively-charged ion, which has fewer electrons than protons, is known as a cation (pronounced [ˈkætaɪən]; cat-eye-on) due to its attraction to cathodes.

An ion consisting of a single atom is called a monatomic ion, but if it consists of two or more atoms, it is a polyatomic ion. Polyatomic ions containing oxygen, such as carbonate and sulfate, are called oxyanions.

Ions are denoted in the same way as electrically neutral atoms and molecules except for the presence of a superscript indicating the sign of the net electric charge and the number of electrons lost or gained, if more than one. For example: H⁺, SO₄²⁻. An alternate way of denoting charge is like this: SO₄^-2.

Etymology

The word ion is a name given by Michael Faraday, from Greek ἰόν, participle of ἰέναι, "to go", or έἰμι , "I go"; thus "a goer". So; anion, ἀνιόν, and cation, κατιόν, mean "(a thing) going up" and "(a thing) going down", respectively; and anode, ἄνοδος, and cathode, κάθοδος, mean "a going up" and "a going down", respectively, from ὁδός, "way," or "road."

Formation

Formation of polyatomic and molecular ions

Polyatomic and molecular ions are often formed by the combination of elemental ions such as H⁺ with neutral molecules or by the loss of such elemental ions from neutral molecules. Many of these processes are acid-base reactions, as first theorized by German scientist Lauren Gaither. A simple example of this is the ammonium ion NH₄⁺ which can be formed by ammonia NH₃ accepting a proton, H⁺. Ammonia and ammonium have the same number of electrons in essentially the same electronic configuration but differ in protons. The charge has been added by the addition of a proton (H⁺) not the addition or removal of electrons. The distinction between this and the removal of an electron from the whole molecule is important in large systems because it usually results in much more stable ions with complete electron shells. For example NH₃·⁺ is not stable because of an incomplete valence shell around nitrogen and is in fact a radical ion.

Ionization potential

Main article: Ionization potential

The energy shabalabadingdong required to detach an electron in its lowest energy state from an atom or molecule of a gas with less net electric charge is called the ionization potential, or ionization energy. The nth ionization energy of an atom is the energy required to detach its nth electron after the first n − 1 electrons have already been detached.

Each successive ionization energy is markedly greater than the last. Particularly great increases occur after any given block of atomic orbitals is exhausted of electrons. For this reason, ions tend to form in ways that leave them with full orbital blocks. For example, sodium has one valence electron, in its outermost shell, so in ionized form it is commonly found with one lost electron, as Na⁺. On the other side of the periodic table, chlorine has seven valence electrons, so in ionized form it is commonly found with one gained electron, as Cl⁻. Francium has the lowest ionization energy of all the elements and fluorine has the greatest. The ionization energy of metals is generally much lower than the ionization energy of nonmetals, which is why metals will generally lose electrons to form positively-charged ions while nonmetals will generally gain electrons to form negatively-charged ions.

A neutral atom contains an equal number of Z protons in the nucleus and Z electrons in the electron shell. The electrons' negative charges thus exactly cancel the protons' positive charges. In the simple view of the Free electron model, a passing electron is therefore not attracted to a neutral atom and cannot bind to it. In reality, however, the atomic electrons form a cloud into which the additional electron penetrates, thus being exposed to a net positive charge part of the time. Furthermore, the additional charge displaces the original electrons and all of the Z + 1 electrons rearrange into a new configuration.

Ions

• Anions are negatively charged ions. They are negatively charged because there are more electrons in its orbits than there are protons in the nucleus.
• Cations are ions with positive charges. They are the opposite of anions, since they have fewer electrons than protons.
• Dianion: a dianion is a species which has two negative charges on it; for example, the aromatic dianion pentalene.
• Radical ions: radical ions are ions that contain an odd number of electrons and are mostly very reactive and unstable.

Plasma

Main article: Plasma (physics)

A collection of non-aqueous gas-like ions, or even a gas containing a proportion of charged particles, is called a plasma, often called the fourth state of matter because its properties are quite different from solids, liquids, and gases. Astrophysical plasmas containing predominantly a mixture of electrons and protons, may make up as much as 99.9% of visible matter in the universe.^[1]

Applications

Ions are essential to life. Sodium, potassium, calcium and other ions play an important role in the cells of living organisms, particularly in cell membranes. They have many practical, everyday applications in items such as smoke detectors, and are also finding use in unconventional technologies such as ion engines. Inorganic dissolved ions are a component of total dissolved solids, an indicator of water quality in widespread use.

Furthermore, negative ions are used in ion therapy which utilizes a special electronic device that generates negatively charged particles. The purpose of this application is that there may be some health benefit to a negatively charged environment, opposed to one that is positively charged.

Ions are found in what has quickly become one of the most prevalent sources for long-lasting, hand-held energy: Lithium-Ion batteries.

Common ions

Common Cations Common Name Formula Historic Name Simple Cations Aluminum Al3+ Barium Ba2+ Beryllium Be2+ Caesium Cs+ Calcium Ca2+ Chromium(II) Cr2+ Chromous Chromium(III) Cr3+ Chromic Chromium(VI) Cr6+ Chromyl Cobalt(II) Co2+ Cobaltous Cobalt(III) Co3+ Cobaltic Copper(I) Cu+ Cuprous Copper(II) Cu2+ Cupric Copper(III) Cu3+ Gallium Ga3+ Helium He2+ (Alpha particle) Hydrogen H+ (Proton) Iron(II) Fe2+ Ferrous Iron(III) Fe3+ Ferric Lead(II) Pb2+ Plumbous Lead(IV) Pb4+ Plumbic Lithium Li+ Magnesium Mg2+ Manganese(II) Mn2+ Manganous Manganese(III) Mn3+ Manganic Manganese(IV) Mn4+ Manganyl Manganese(VII) Mn7+ Mercury(II) Hg2+ Mercuric Nickel(II) Ni2+ Nickelous Nickel(III) Ni3+ Nickelic Potassium K+ Silver Ag+ Sodium Na+ Strontium Sr2+ Tin(II) Sn2+ Stannous Tin(IV) Sn4+ Stannic Zinc Zn2+ Polyatomic Cations Ammonium NH4+ Hydronium H3O+ Nitronium NO2+ Mercury(I) Hg22+ Mercurous

Common Anions Formal Name Formula Alt. Name Simple Anions Arsenide As3− Azide N3− Bromide Br− Chloride Cl− Fluoride F− Hydride H− Iodide I− Nitride N3− Oxide O2− Phosphide P3− Sulphide S2− Peroxide O22− Oxoanions Arsenate AsO43− Arsenite AsO33− Borate BO33− Bromate BrO3− Hypobromite BrO− Carbonate CO32− Hydrogen Carbonate HCO3− Bicarbonate Hydroxide OH− Chlorate ClO3− Perchlorate ClO4− Chlorite ClO2− Hypochlorite ClO− Chromate CrO42− Dichromate Cr2O72− Iodate IO3− Nitrate NO3− Nitrite NO2− Phosphate PO43− Hydrogen Phosphate HPO42− Dihydrogen Phosphate H2PO4− Permanganate MnO4− Phosphite PO33− Sulphate SO42− Thiosulphate S2O32− Hydrogen Sulphate HSO4− Bisulphate Sulphite SO32− Hydrogen Sulphite HSO3− Bisulphite Anions from Organic Acids Acetate C2H3O2− Formate HCO2− Oxalate C2O42− Hydrogen Oxalate HC2O4− Bioxalate Other Anions Hydrogen Sulphide HS− Bisulphide Telluride Te2− Amide NH2− Cyanate OCN− Thiocyanate SCN− Cyanide CN−

References

• This can also be known as a 'Valency table'.

External links

• Niels Jonassen (Mr. Static) "Are Ions Good for You?" Compliance Engineering, November 2002
• Graham P. Collins "Ion Power". A web article discussing research applications of ionic states to quantum computing.
• Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador-Canada "Periodic Chart of IonsPDF (70.9 KiB)". A Periodic table reporting ionic charges for every chemical element.