ABSTRACT
Superhalogens possess a wide range of applications. This chapter explores superacids based on various superhalogens. A hypothesis is put forth suggesting that superacids may be realized as complexes formed by protonating superhalogen anions in the last decade, which is validated using various superhalogens. It was demonstrated that the gas phase acidity of protonated complexes rises monotonically along with the increase in vertical detachment energies (VDE) of negatively charged ions in the case of polynuclear superhalogens. Thus, the acidity is directly related to the “superhalogenity.” It is observed in the case of hyperhalogens that the greater VDE values of negatively charged ions result in stronger superacids. Although the results presented are primarily in the gas phase, the implications should be readily extended to solution phase. Therefore, the chapter reveals that the process of adding proton (H+) to the superhalogen anions is a highly powerful approach for designing novel superacids.
