“Stripping” the Carbon Atom of Methyl Halide by a Cationic Holmium Complex: A Gas‐Phase Study

Mechanistic aspects of an unusual reaction of HoC₆H₄S]⁺ with CH₃X (X=Cl, Br, I) have been investigated using Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this thermal process, all four bonds of the methyl halides are cleaved.