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Name the Strongest Acid in the World

Name the strongest acid in the world. Find the answer to this question and access a vast question bank that is customised for the student.

Answer: Fluoroantimonic acid, HSbF6, is the world’s most powerful superacid. It is made by combining hydrogen fluoride (HF) with antimony pentafluoride (APF) (SbF5). The superacid can be made in a variety of ways, but the strongest superacid is made by combining equal amounts of the two acids.

Fluoroantimonic Acid Superacid Properties

  • When it comes into touch with water, it decomposes quickly and explosively. Fluoroantimonic acid cannot be employed in aqueous solution because of this characteristic. It’s exclusively utilised in a hydrofluoric acid solution. 
  • Produces extremely poisonous fumes. Fluoroantimonic acid decomposes and produces hydrogen fluoride gas as the temperature rises (hydrofluoric acid).
  • Glass and a variety of other materials are dissolved, and practically all organic molecules are protonated (such as everything in your body). PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) containers are used to hold this acid.

Some uses of Fluoroantimonic Acid

The solution can be found in its extreme characteristics. Fluoroantimonic acid is used to protonate organic molecules in chemical engineering and organic chemistry, regardless of their solvent. 

The acid can be used to extract hydrogen from isobutane and methane from neopentane, for example. In petrochemistry, it is employed as a catalyst for alkylations and acylations. Carbocations are synthesised and characterised using superacids in general.