Fluoroantimonic acid

Fluoroantimonic acid Property

Melting point:

20°C

Density 

2.885 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.)

vapor pressure 

14 mm Hg ( 18 °C)

form 

liquid

color 

yellow to colorless

Water Solubility 

It is fully miscible with water, soluble in SO2ClF, SO2.

Exposure limits

ACGIH: TWA 0.5 mg/m3
NIOSH: IDLH 50 mg/m3; TWA 0.5 mg/m3

CAS DataBase Reference

16950-06-4(CAS DataBase Reference)

EPA Substance Registry System

Antimonate(1-), hexafluoro-, hydrogen, (OC-6-11)- (16950-06-4)

Safety

Hazard Codes 

Xn,N,C,T+

Risk Statements 

20/22-51/53-35-26/27/28

Safety Statements 

61-45-36/37/39-28-26

RIDADR 

UN 2922 8/PG 2

WGK Germany 

2

Hazard Note 

Corrosive

TSCA 

Yes

HazardClass 

8

PackingGroup 

II

Hazard and Precautionary Statements (GHS)

Symbol(GHS)

Signal word

Danger

Hazard statements

H314Causes severe skin burns and eye damage

H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

Precautionary statements

P260Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.

P273Avoid release to the environment.

P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.

P303+P361+P353IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off Immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse SKIN with water/shower.

P305+P351+P338IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continuerinsing.

Fluoroantimonic acid Chemical Properties,Usage,Production

Chemical Properties

superacid; moisture sensitive [KIR78] [ALD94]
Strongest superacid known
mixture of HF and SbF5 (1:1 is strongest)
Protonate even hydrocarbons to afford carbocations and H2.
2×1019 (20 quintillion) times stronger than 100% sulfuric acid.
Ho values of -31.3

Uses

Fluoroantimonic acid is an excellent medium for the preparation of alkylidene oxonium salts.

Preparation

Fluoroantimonic acid is produced by reacting hydrogen fluoride (HF) with antimony pentafluoride (SbF5).
SbF5+HF→SbF6+HF

General Description

HF/SbF₅ may be synthesized by mixing hydrogen fluoride and antimony fluoride.1 Fluoroantimonic acid (HF/SbF₅), is a combination of SbF₅ and HF. It is the known strongest liquid superacid.

References

[1] J. OLAH G. O. Synthetic Method and Reactions; V. 1 Fluoroantimonic Acid, a Convenient Superacid Catalyst for the Improved Isomerization of Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene to Adamantane[J]. Synthesis-Stuttgart, 2002, 106 1: 488-488. DOI:10.1055/S-1973-22239.
[2] ZENGSHE LIU Atanu B. Fluoroantimonic acid hexahydrate (HSbF6·6H2O) catalysis: The ring-opening polymerization of epoxidized soybean oil[J]. Applied Catalysis A: General, 2013, 453: Pages 370-375. DOI:10.1016/j.apcata.2012.12.028.