REACTIONS OF CHLOROCARBONIUM IONS.

The objective of the program was to find out more about the reaction of phosphorus pentachloride with ketones of various structures since this type of reaction had, in the past, received very little attention. In the course of the work, a quite unusual phenomenon was observed, namely, that the reactions in carbon tetrachloride gave results different from those in methylene chloride. Since each of these solvents had been considered inert and of low dipole moment, the results were surprising, and therefore, very interesting. Since it was found by others that phosphorus pentachloride is dimeric, P2C110, in carbon tetrachloride and monomeric, PC15, in chloroform, the assumption was made that phosphorus pentachloride was monomeric in methylene chloride. Different mechanisms were proposed for the reactions of ketones with phosphorus pentachloride in carbon tetrachloride and methylene chloride. These mechanisms depend on the state of phosphorus pentachloride in these two solvents. This work has stimulated interest in the behavior of ketones with phosphorus pentachloride in other solvents. Thus, a wider perspective for future research in this area has resulted. Author