This story is part of
Science for All newsletter
SHOW MORE 59 STORIES

Science for All | What are Lewis super acids? 
Premium

The Hindu’s weekly Science for All newsletter explains all things Science, without the jargon.

March 02, 2023 11:39 am | Updated March 03, 2023 09:46 am IST

A Lewis acid is any substance, such as a Hydrogen ion (H+) that can accept a pair of nonbonding electrons. Representational image.

A Lewis acid is any substance, such as a Hydrogen ion (H+) that can accept a pair of nonbonding electrons. Representational image.

(This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Subscribe now!)

Researchers at the Paderborn University, Germany have reported being able to make a unique class of catalysts – used in chemistry to accelerate reactions – called “Lewis super-acids” These can be used to break strong chemical bonds and speed up reactions.

Named for the chemist, G N Lewis, Lewis super-acids derive from Lewis acids. A Lewis acid is any substance, such as a Hydrogen ion (H+) that can accept a pair of nonbonding electrons. In other words, a Lewis acid is an electron-pair acceptor. A Lewis base is any substance, such as the OH- ion, that can donate a pair of nonbonding electrons. A Lewis base is therefore an electron-pair donor.

Because Lewis acids add electron pairs, they are often used to speed up chemical reactions. Lewis superacids are stronger than antimony pentafluoride -- the strongest Lewis acid -- and can break even the toughest bonds. Breaking strong, chemical bonds requires highly reactive substances.

Because they are so reactive, they are hard to manufacture however the research team, in a paper, said they used a “trick” to produce these super acids. Being able to make these super acids, enables non-biodegradable fluorinated hydrocarbons, similar to Teflon, and possibly even climate-damaging greenhouse gases, such as sulphur hexafluoride, to be converted back into sustainable chemicals.

From the Science pages

Are neutrinos their own anti-particles?

Studies in mice reveal neural mechanism of fear conditioning

Aztec hummingbirds, Indian sunbirds

Question Corner

Why do some people attract more mosquitoes? Find out here.

Flora and Fauna

Cuban firefighters battle raging forest fire

For animals extinct in the wild, even zoos may not be good enough

Bengal reports 489 species in Great Backyard Bird Count 2023  

Minimising human disturbance crucial to protect bears outside wildlife reserves: study

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.