The Structure of the Strongest Bronsted Acid: The Carborane Acid H(CHB_(11)Cl_(11))

摘要

Carborane acids are a new class of protic acids notable for their "strong yet gentle" properties that allow the isolation of reactive cations (e.g.,HC_(60)~+,C_6H_7~+,t-butyl cation,H_3O~+,H_5O_2~+).As a class,they are stronger than previously known Lewis-free Br0nsted acids (CF_3SO_3H,FSO_3H,etc.),and the carborane acid having 11 chlorine substituents on the boron cluster,H(CHB_(11)Cl_(11)),is presently the strongest and most robust.Until now,their structures have been unknown.Herein,we report IR and X-ray data that establish their gas and solid phase structures.