Abstract The reaction products and intermediates from the interaction of acetonitrile with olefins (oct-1-ene) or alcohols (tert-butyl alcohol) in zeolite H-ZSM-5 at 296 K have been characterized with 13 C and 15 N solid-state NMR. It has been shown that coadsorption of acetonitrile and olefin on H-ZSM-5 gives rise to the intermediate N-alkylnitrilium cation represents a persistent species inside a zeolite under anhydrous conditions. Upon ...