Abstract Rate constants of solvolysis of α-tert-butyl (2-naphthyl) methyl chloride (1), 9- fluorenyl chloride (2) and a series of monosubstituted benzhydryl chlorides (3) in a wide range of solvents were measured. Grunwald–Winstein-type correlation analysis of log k for 2 and 3 against Y BnCl, with or without nucleophilicity N, yielded less satisfactory linear correlations than that against log k (1). A new scale of solvent ionizing power, Y xBnCl, for ...