Because the electrophilic carbon in these reactions is a methyl carbon, a stepwise S N 1-like mechanism is extremely unlikely: a methyl carbocation is very high in energy and thus is not a reasonable ...Because the electrophilic carbon in these reactions is a methyl carbon, a stepwise S N 1-like mechanism is extremely unlikely: a methyl carbocation is very high in energy and thus is not a reasonable intermediate to propose. The methylation of an alcohol by iodomethane is just one example of what is generally referred to as the Williamson ether synthesis, in which alcohols are first deprotonated by a strong base and then allowed to attack an alkyl halide electrophile.