Sciencemadness Discussion Board

heptamethylbenzenium ion

Pomzazed - 7-3-2009 at 12:11

What is the structure of heptamethylbenzenium ion?

The extra methyl is attached to one of the carbon, or it just floats above the aromatic system sharing the electrons just like the hexagonal-based pyramid shape or what?

I suppose it has many resonance structure just like the norbonyl cation. But is this the case?

Nicodem - 9-3-2009 at 00:04

It's just the sigma complex of hexamethylbenzene with methyl cation. Put this SMILE-s notation in a chemical drawing software if you don't understand what that is: C\C1=C(/C)C(/C)=C(/C)[C+](C)C1(C)C
(take notion that the charge is delocalized, but unfortunately the SMILE format does not allow it).