noun
- Plural of carbonium; a positively charged carbon ion or carbocation, especially one with a trivalent carbon atom bearing a positive charge.
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- Carboniums are important intermediates in many organic reactions.
- The stability of carboniums depends on the nature of the groups attached to the charged carbon.
- Chemists study carboniums to understand reaction mechanisms.
- Tertiary carboniums are more stable than primary carboniums.
- The formation of carboniums is a key step in certain types of chemical transformations.