Benzene Oxidation by 'Bare'FeO+ in the Gas Phase

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/hlca.19920750429

Bare FeO⁺ reacts in the gas phase with benzene at collision rate (k = 1.3 x 1E-9 cm³molecule^-1s^-1), giving rise to the formation of Fe(C6H4)⁺/H2O(5percent), Fe(C5H6)⁺/CO(37percent), Fe(C5H5)⁺/CO/H (2percent), and Fe⁺/C6H5OH(56).Neither the reaction rate nor the product distribution are subject to a significant kinetic isotope effect, thus, ruling out several mechanistic variants described in the literature to be operative for 'analogous' arene oxidation processes in solution.A mechanism is suggested which is in keeping with the experimental findings, and which also accounts for some remarkable results obtained, when two ⁺ isomers are generated and subjected to a neutralization-re-ionization experiment in the gas phase.