The absolute bimolecular rate constants for the reactions of C 6 H 5 with 2-methylpropane, 2,3-dimethylbutane and 2,3,4-trimethylpentane have been measured by cavity ringdown spectrometry at temperatures between 290 and 500 K. For 2-methylpropane, additional measurements were performed with the pulsed laser photolysis/mass spectrometry, extending the temperature range to 972 K. The reactions were found to be dominated by the abstraction of a tertiary C-H bond from the molecular reactant, resulting in the production of a tertiary alkyl radical: