Intracluster ion−molecule reactions of dimer cations of various phenylsilanes were investigated in order to
elucidate reaction mechanisms of phenylsilane cation reported in the gas-phase FT-ICR study. Two types of
reactions, SiR3 elimination and
transfer, were observed. In the latter case, our observation strongly
supported that a precursor of the reaction has a π-type complex configuration, [C6H6·SiR2]+, which has been
proposed before. On the contrary, in the former case, a dimer cation forms a reaction intermediate and then
it dissociates preferentially to a larger exothermic channel.