| Abstract: | Pyramidal cations are discussed with reference to their role as the connecting link between organic and inorganic chemistry. The electronic structure of these ions is treated with respect to their physical and chemical properties, namely charge distribution, geometry, and quenching reactions with nucleophiles. The chemistry in the gas phase of certain carbenium ions, in particular the scrambling of carbon atoms, is readily explicable by invoking transition states or intermediates of pyramidal structure. Moreover, the behavior of unimolecular processes can be understood in terms of transition states in which a hydrogen molecule is positioned as a “side-on” or an “end-on” ligand. |
