The gas phase reactivity of the dimethylchloronium ion with alkylbenzenes

The reactivity of the dimethylchloronium ion with a series of aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied in a high pressure mass spectrometer ion source using the technique of reactant ion monitoring. Benzene is unreactive but all others, from toluene to mesitylene, react by CH3+ transfer to yield σ-bonded complexes. The relative rate of reaction increases with increasing exothermicity in line with current theories of nucleophilic displacement reactions.