Abstract: The 1, 3-diphenylbutenyl cation (2a) and the 1, 1, 3-tripheny1-2-propenyl cation (2b) have been directly observed by nmr spectroscopy after their generation from their respective allylic alcohols [la and lb) in FSOIH at-70”. These are the first acyclic, phenyl- substituted, allylic cations to be reported. On warming the acid solutions, cyclization to indanyl cations was observed. A series of 12 phenyl-substituted allylic alcohols was ...