---
title: "Benzyl cation Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance-benzyl-cation/
description: "Benzyl cation template: PhCH₂⁺: the cation on CH₂, then on the two ortho carbons and the para carbon, each form reached by moving one ring π bond. Preview…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
[MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Resonance](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance/) › Benzyl cation

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# Benzyl cation template

![Benzyl cation template: PhCH₂⁺: the cation on CH₂, then on the two ortho carbons and the para carbon, each form reached by moving one ring π bond.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance-benzyl-cation.webp)

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PhCH₂⁺: the cation on CH₂, then on the two ortho carbons and the para carbon, each form reached by moving one ring π bond.

## What the template shows

- The ring π electrons spread the positive charge onto the ortho and para carbons
- Resonance contributors
- Positive charge: CH₂, ortho, para, ortho′
- Four contributors: the charge is shared by the benzylic carbon and the ortho and para ring carbons, never the meta carbons.
- The benzyl cation is about as stable as a secondary alkyl cation, so benzylic halides react readily by SN1.
- The benzyl radical and anion are delocalised onto the same carbons.
- Contributors are not in equilibrium: the real species is one hybrid of them · every part of this figure is editable

Drawn with 28 atoms, 6 arrows, 2 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 7](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook
- [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Benzyl cation template free?

You can preview the Benzyl cation template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.

### Can I edit the Benzyl cation template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### How are resonance structures shown?

Each contributor is drawn separately, joined by double-headed resonance arrows, with curly arrows showing how the electrons move from one contributor to the next.

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