Nucleophilic displacement reactions of anions with neutral alkyl halides were studied in the gas phase by using mass spectrometric techniques. Analysis of the rates of the reactions leads to a model of the potential surface, which has a double minimum. The energetics associated with the surface can be obtained and with the use of Marcus theory leads to an estimate of the energy of the self-exchange reaction, Y-+ CH 3 Y -> CH 3 Y + Y-. The energies for self-exchange are suggested as a measure of the intrinsic nucleophilicity of Y-. The relationship of proton affinity and methyl cation affinity (carbon basicity) is analyzed.1SIUCLEOPHILIC DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS occupy a unique place in organic chemistry. These reactions are among the most studied and have played a critical role in numerous models of reaction chemistry such as steric effects, polar effects, solvent effects, and structure-reactivity correlations. Nucleophilic displacement reactions have been prominent in the develop ment of paradigms for studying stereochemistry as well. In some sense, the nucleophilic displacement reaction is also among the best understood of chemical reactions, and this reaction occupies a critical place in the pedagogy of elementary organic chemistry. Nevertheless, the area still has major conceptual problems associated with it, as evidenced by the papers pre sented in the symposium upon which this book is based.In fact, why some reactions are fast and others slow is often difficult to explain in simple terms, and prediction of the rates of reactions is essentially impossible without either an elaborate quantum calculation or the use of a complex set of empirical parameters. Our work in studying simple S N 2 reactions in the gas phase has been aimed at developing a view of these reactions that can be understood in relatively elementary terms. By remov ing the effects of solvation, we hope to discern the important factors involved in determining reaction rates. Although our efforts are far from complete, we believe that the reactions can now be understood, at least in the first approximation (1-8).