https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S06135
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. SbF5) in a suitable
Brønsted acid
such as HF or HSO3F. (An equimolar mixture of HSO3F and SbF5 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'.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. (Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)) on page 1169 [Terms] [Paper]