In the charged planar system A 2+ , the IS1 and IS2 configurations are found at 9-10 kcal mol -1 compared to the IS3 ground state. In contrast to the neutral model, LS2 and HS3 are highly destabilized with negative HOMO-LUMO gaps. The other electronic structure types are found at least 15 kcal/mol above the IS3 ground state. Differences between the charged model A 2+ and the neutral model A are expected to arise from fewer π orbitals being occupied in the equatorial ligand, so that ringopen-shell electronic structures like LS2 or HS3 will experience different stabilizations.