The binding energies of the quaternary ions (CH3) 4N+ and acetylcholine (ACh) to neutral molecules have been measured by pulsed high-pressure mass spectrometry and calculated ab initio, to model interactions in the acetylcholine receptor channel. Binding energies to C6H6 and C6H5CH3 are similar to those to H2O (33-42 kJ/mol (8-10 kcal/mol)), but are weaker than those to polar organic ligands such as CH3CO2CH3 (50-63 kJ/mol (12-15 ...