UV Raman spectrum of 1,3-dimethylcyclopentenyl cation adsorbed in zeolite H-MFI.

The first Raman spectrum of an adsorbed carbenium ion has been measured: The 1,3-dimethylcyclopentenyl cation adsorbed in zeolite H-MFI. 1,3-Dimethylcyclopentenyl cation has been observed as a component of the hydrocarbon pool formed during the methanol-to-gasoline process catalyzed by zeolite H-MFI. The Raman shifts recorded for 1,3-dimethylcyclopentenyl cation are in remarkable agreement with computer calculations of the vibrational band positions for the isolated cation. This agreement suggests that the cation is unperturbed by interactions with the zeolite pore walls so that Raman spectra of free or solution-phase hydrocarbons can be used to identify these same species adsorbed in zeolite pores.