Trihydroxycarbenium Hexafluorometalates: Salts of Protonated Carbonic Acid.

Stabilization by salt formation: carbonic acid, which is not available as a pure substance, was isolated in the form of its trihydroxycarbenium salts, C(OH)3+  MF6- (M=As, Sb), from the reaction of carbonic acid bis(trimethylsilyl) ester in the superacids HF/MF5 . The structure of the cation is shown in the picture. The ion was also characterized by vibrational spectroscopic studies. © 1999 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Fed. Rep. of Germany.