<正>Up to now the mechanism of Friedel-Crafts reactions catalyzed by ionic liquid have not been fully understood, while carbocation mechanism was assumed. It was found that the source of H+ and the route of reaction initiated the alkylation of benzene with ethylene catalyzed by [bmim]Cl/FeCl3 ionic liquid. The fact that dewatered ionic liquids have catalytic activity for the alkylation of benzene with ethylene suggests that there exists a new catalytic route. The distinctly Bronsted acid properties of 2-H in [bmim]Cl were found through FT-IR and HNMR