In the inversion in the reactivities and selectivities of benzyl chloride (BnCl) and benzyl alcohol (BnOH) in a single pot Friedel-Crafts benzylation with toluene, there is not only a preferential adsorption of benzyl alcohol on the solid acid catalyst but also a second preference to the adsorption of benzyl ether (BE)formed in-situ. The order of prefential adsorption is BnOH > BE > BnCl. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd