Does the Cyclohehyl Cation Exist in the Dilute Gas State? Direct Evidence from a Radiolytic Study

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00406a008

The isomeric composition of the daseous C6H11⁺ cations obtained via hydride ion abstraction from c-C6H12 has been investigated by allowing the charged species to react in the gas phase with water and analyzing the neutral products formed.The nature and the yields of the major products, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, and 1-methylcyclopentanol, and their dependence on the pressure and the composition of the gaseous system provide direct evidence for the existence of the cyclohexyl cation in the dilute gas state, with a lifetime in excess of 10^-7 s, and confirm its facile rearrangement to the more stable 1-methylcyclopentyl ion.