ammonium - Substituted ammonium ions

NH₄⁺. A cation formed by the reaction of ammonia with acid. It is found in many salts, particularly the chloride (sal ammoniac) and the carbonate (sal volatile). Aqueous solutions of ammonia are often called ammonium hydroxide.

The ammonium cation is a positively charged polyatomic ion of the chemical formula NH4R4, where one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic radical groups (which could be symbolized as R). The ammonium ion can act as a very weak Brønsted-Lowry acid in the sense that it can protonate a stronger base using any one of its hydrogen ( H ) atoms and convert back to ammonia. This means that the ammonium ion is a conjugate acid of the base ammonia. In a solution, the degree to which ammonia forms the ammonium ion depends on the pH of the solution. for example, when ammonia vapor comes in contact with hydrogen chloride vapor, a white cloud of ammonium chloride forms, which eventually settles out as a solid in a thin white layer on surfaces. Ammonium cations resemble alkali metal ions like Na and can be found in salts such as ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium chloride, and ammonium nitrate. The ammonium ion behaves somewhat like an alkali metal ion.

Substituted ammonium ions

Any hydrogen in the ammonium ion can be substituted with an alkyl (or other organic radical) group to form an substituted ammonium ion, also called aminium ion;