Rate Constants for the Attack of Carbenium Ions at Arenes—A Link between the Chemistry of Aliphatic and Aromatic π Systems

The mechanism of the Friedel‐Crafts reaction is one of the most thoroughly studied, yet the absolute rate constants for the key step—the attack of the carbenium ion at arene—have only now been determined for the arylcarbenium ion. Since rate constants for reactions of these carbenium ions with alkenes and complexes of main group elements with the allyl group are already known, a direct comparison between the nucleophilicity or aromatic and aliphatic π systems is now possible.