Friedel-Crafts reaction isomer ratio

Issues of regioselectivity in the Blanc chloromethylation and related Friedel-Crafts reactions have been studied extensively. As is common with a majority of electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, substitution typically occurs ortho or para to electron-donating substituents, with issues of steric strain playing a role in the relative ratio of ortho and para products. The Blanc reaction is t3q)ically somewhat regioselective, favoring the para-isomer but accompanied by lesser amounts of the ortho product. ... 

The ethylation of toluene by diethylhalonium ions gives ethyltoluenes with ortho para isomer ratios between 0.60 and 0.96. The ortho para isomer ratios obtained for the alkylation of toluene in conventional Friedel-Crafts ethylations range from 1.17 to 1.84 (average 1.60). Such differences are considered to be due to the steric ortho effect caused by diethylhalonium ions, and are in accordance with the most probable displacement reaction on the bulky diethylhalonium ions by the aromatic substrate. This can be envisioned to proceed through an SN2-type transition state involving no free alkyl cations [Eq. (5.109)]. 

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