Neutral compounds having formal unit electrical charges of opposite sign. Some chemists restrict the term to compounds with the charges on non-adjacent atoms. Sometimes referred to as
inner salts,
dipolar ions (a misnomer). E.g.
H3N+CH2C(=O)O− ammonioacetate (glycine),
(CH3)3N+–O−
trimethylamine oxide.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1307
(Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1375
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1176