Conventional ion true This child of the former purgatory term ion chemical type was made obsolete. MS OBSOLETE A radical cation or anion in which the charge site and the unpaired electron spin are both formally located in the same atom or group of atoms, as opposed to the spatially separate electronic configuration of distonic ions. The radical cation of methanol, CH3OH+, in which the charge and spin sites are formally located at the O atom is an example of a conventional ion, whereas .CH2-OH2+ is a distonic ion. MS:1000359