The
trihydrogen cation, also known as
protonated molecular hydrogen or
H3+, is one of the most abundant
ions in the universe. It is stable in the
interstellar medium (ISM) due to the low temperature and low density of interstellar space. The role that H
3+ plays in the gas-phase chemistry of the ISM is unparalleled by any other molecular ion. The
cation is also the simplest triatomic
molecule, since its two electrons are the only valence electrons in the system. It is also the simplest example of a
three-center two-electron bond system.