Olation
At low pH, many metal ions exist in aqueous solution as aqua coordination complexes, often with the formula [M(HO)]. As the pH increases, one O-H bond ionizes to give the hydroxide complex, the conjugate base of the parent hexaaqua complex:
The hydroxo complex is poised to undergo olation, which is initiated by displacement of one water by a neighboring complex:
In this product, the hydroxide ligand bridges between the two metals, this bridge is denoted with the symbol μ.
In the resulting 5+ ion, the remaining water and hydroxo ligands are highly acidic and the ionization and condensation processes can continue at still higher pHs. The formation of the oxo-dimer is a process called "oxolation," although sometimes olation and oxolation are not distinguished:
Ultimately one observes the formation of the metal oxide:
Hydrogen chalcogenide
Some properties of the hydrogen dichalcogenides follow:
An alternative structural isomer of the dichalcogenides, in which both hydrogen atoms are bonded to the same chalcogen atom, which is also bonded to the other chalcogen atom, have been examined computationally. These HX–X structures are ylides. This isomeric form of hydrogen peroxide, oxywater, has not been synthesized experimentally. The analogous isomer of hydrogen disulfide, thiosulfoxide, has been detected by mass spectrometry experiments.