Preferred Label : superacid;
IUPAC definition : A medium having a high acidity, generally greater than that of 100 wt.% sulfuric acid.
The common superacids are made by dissolving a powerful Lewis acid (e.g. SbF sub 5
/sub ) in a suitable Brønsted acid such as HF or HSO sub 3 /sub F. (An equimolar mixture
of HSO sub 3 /sub F and SbF sub 5 /sub is known by the trade name 'magic acid'.)
In a biochemical context 'superacid catalysis' is sometimes used to denote catalysis
by metal ions analogous to catalysis by hydrogen ions. By analogy, a compound having
a very high basicity, such as lithium diisopropylamide, is called a 'superbase'.;
Origin ID : S06135;
See also
A medium having a high acidity, generally greater than that of 100 wt.% sulfuric acid.
The common superacids are made by dissolving a powerful Lewis acid (e.g. SbF sub 5
/sub ) in a suitable Brønsted acid such as HF or HSO sub 3 /sub F. (An equimolar mixture
of HSO sub 3 /sub F and SbF sub 5 /sub is known by the trade name 'magic acid'.)
In a biochemical context 'superacid catalysis' is sometimes used to denote catalysis
by metal ions analogous to catalysis by hydrogen ions. By analogy, a compound having
a very high basicity, such as lithium diisopropylamide, is called a 'superbase'.
