Gas-phase electrophilic addition reactions of chlorinated alkyl ions

Chemical ionization was used to study gas-phase electrophilic addition reactions of chloromethyl ions (CH_xCl_3-x]⁺, x = 0, 1, 2) with a number of substituted benzenes (C₆H₅Y, Y = NH₂, OH, CHO, CN, NO₂). Mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy spectrometry was used to characterize the reaction products with respect to the site of electrophilic addition (ring v. substituent). In some cases, examination of secondary reaction products (ion–molecule adduct which has undergone an elimination reaction in the ion source) aided in establishing the original site of electrophilic addition. Aniline, benzonitrile and nitrobenzene exhibited preferential substituent interaction, while phenol and benzaldehyde gave a mixture of ring and substituent reaction products. These gas-phase results differ considerably from solution-phase Friedel–Crafts alkylation; however, they are consistent with the notion of preferential σ-bond formation at polarizable centers of negative charge.