We report the spectroscopic evidence of the jet-cooled alpha,alpha- dimethylbenzyl radical, which was generated in a technique of corona excited supersonic expansion using a pinhole-type glass nozzle. For identification of the a, a- dimethylbenzyl radical, precursors that form a common molecular radical, as a result of dissociation of either a C-H bond or C-C bond of alkyl group in a corona discharge, were employed. Based on comparisons of the spectra observed from the corona discharges of isopropylbenzene and tert-butylbenzene, evidence was obtained of the existence of the a, a- dimethylbenzyl radical in the gas phase. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.