The strongest acid in the world is fluoroantimonic acid. This superacid is a mixture of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and antimony pentafluoride (SbF5). It is incredibly corrosive and can react with almost any material, including glass. Fluoroantimonic acid is trillions of times stronger than pure sulfuric acid when measured by its Hammett acidity.
The strength of an acid is determined by its ability to donate a proton (H+). Superacids are acids that are stronger than 100% sulfuric acid. While fluoroantimonic acid is the strongest known superacid, other superacids, like carborane acids, have also been identified.
Examples of superacids:
- Fluoroantimonic acid: (HF-SbF5)
- Carborane acids: (H(CHB11F11))
Practical applications:
- Fluoroantimonic acid is primarily used in research and industrial settings due to its extreme corrosive properties.
