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Taming Superacids: Stabilization of the Fullerene Cations HC 60 + and C 60 ·+

2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 289; Issue: 5476 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.289.5476.101

1095-9203

Christopher A. Reed, Kee‐Chan Kim, Robert D. Bolskar, Leonard J. Mueller,

Boron Compounds in Chemistry

A new superacid, H(CB 11 H 6 X 6 ) (where X = chlorine or bromine), whose conjugate base is the exceptionally inert CB 11 H 6 X 6 – carborane anion, separates Brønsted acidity from oxidizing capacity and anion nucleophilicity in a manner not previously achieved. Reaction of this superacid with C 60 gives HC 60 + as a stable ion in solution and in the solid state. In a separate experiment, an oxidant was developed such that the long-sought C 60 ·+ ion can be synthesized in solution. The preparation of these two fullerene carbocations is a notable departure from the prevalent chemistry of C 60 , which is dominated by the formation of anions or the addition of nucleophiles. The H(CB 11 H 6 X 6 ) superacid overcomes the major limitations of presently known superacids and has potentially wide application.