In superacids, the proton is shuttled rapidly from proton acceptor to proton acceptor by tunneling through a hydrogen bond via the Grotthuss mechanism, just as in other hydrogen-bonded networks, like water or ammonia.
Why are Superacids so strong?
The hydrogen ion in HF is attached to fluorine by a very weak dipolar bond, which accounts for the extreme acidity of the superacid. As shown in the formula below, the free proton easily dissociates in the mixture and results in strong reactivity with other substances as it jumps between anions.
What is the world's strongest superacid?
Fluoroantimonic acid is the strongest superacid based on the measured value of its Hammett acidity function (H0), which has been determined for different ratios of HF:SbF5.
