The term superacids was introduced into the chemical literature in 1927 by James Conant and Norris Hall to describe solutions of sulfuric or perchloric acid in glacial acetic acid. They found that these nonaqueous-superacid solutions reacted with weak bases which did not react with either sulfuric or perchloric acid in water. Conant and Hall's initial report received little attention; however, interest in superacids increased dramatically in the 1960s. Since then, the reactivity of superacids with very weak bases has been studied extensively, particularly with regard to the protonation of saturated hydrocarbons in acid-catalyzed organic reactions. In 1972, Ronald Gillespie defined superacids as acids which are stronger than 100% sulfuric acid. Gillespie's definition has become the accepted definition for Brönsted superacids. Lewis superacids are generally considered to be those which are stronger than anhydrous aluminum trichloride (AlCl₃). In 1987, George Olah received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering research...