Distonic ions are chemical species that contain 2 ionic charges on the same molecule. The charges must be separated by two or more carbon or hetero atoms to count as distonic (distant). Otherwise it is a gitonic (close) ion. For example, the acid-catalyzed Grewe-cyclization is a well-known reaction based on formation of a distonic ion, initiating the ring closing step as a superelectrophile. Distonic radical ions were first discovered in the gas phase by Michael L. Gross. In recent years there has been a tremendous effort to identify new distonic species, characterize their reactivity, and measure their stability.
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Distonic ion Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA