Carbenium ion
Encyclopedia
A carbenium ion is a carbocation
Carbocation
A carbocation is an ion with a positively-charged carbon atom. The charged carbon atom in a carbocation is a "sextet", i.e. it has only six electrons in its outer valence shell instead of the eight valence electrons that ensures maximum stability . Therefore carbocations are often reactive,...

 of the trivalent and classical type R3C+. It is one of two types of carbocation, the other being a carbonium ion
Carbonium ion
A carbonium ion is a carbocation of the penta- or tetracoordinated nonclassical type such as an ion of the type R5C+.- Methanium:The parent compound methanium or CH5+ is protonated methane and a superacid. This ion exists as a reactive intermediate in the interstellar medium and can be produced in...

. In older literature a carbocation of the type R3C+ may still be referred to as a carbonium ion, a term that is used now for five-coordinate carbon atoms.

The current definitions were proposed by the chemist George Andrew Olah
George Andrew Olah
George Andrew Olah is an American chemist. His research involves the generation and reactivity of carbocations via superacids. For this research, Olah was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1994...

in 1972. and are now widely accepted
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