Editing Base (chemistry) (section)

===Superbases===
{{Main|Superbase}}
Group 1 salts of [[carbanion]]s, [[azanide ion|amide ions]], and [[hydrides]] tend to be even stronger bases due to the extreme weakness of their conjugate acids, which are stable hydrocarbons, amines, and dihydrogen. Usually, these bases are created by adding pure alkali metals such as sodium into the conjugate acid. They are called ''[[superbase]]s'', and it is impossible to keep them in aqueous solutions because they are stronger bases than the [[hydroxide]] ion (See the [[leveling effect]].) For example, the ethoxide ion (conjugate base of ethanol) undergoes this reaction quantitatively in presence of water.<ref name="AlkoxideLibreText">{{cite web |title=10.4.1. Alkoxide Ions |url=https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Purdue/Purdue_Chem_26100%3A_Organic_Chemistry_I_(Wenthold)/Chapter_10%3A_Alcohols/10.4_Acidity_of_Alcohols/10.4.1._Alkoxide_Ions |website=Chemistry Libretexts |date=16 July 2015 |publisher=LibreText |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref>

:<chem>CH3CH2O- + H2O -> CH3CH2OH + OH-</chem>

Examples of common superbases are:
*[[n-Butyllithium|Butyl lithium]] (n-C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>9</sub>Li)
*[[Lithium diisopropylamide]] (LDA) [(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>CH]<sub>2</sub>NLi 
*[[Lithium diethylamide]] (LDEA) {{chem|(C|2|H|5|)|2|NLi}}
*[[Sodium amide]] (NaNH<sub>2</sub>)
*[[Sodium hydride]] (NaH)
*[[Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide]] {{chem|[(CH|3|)|3|Si]|2|NLi}}

Strongest superbases are synthesised in only gas phase:
*[[Ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion]] (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>(C<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>)<sup>2−</sup> (the strongest superbase ever synthesized)  
*[[Meta-diethynylbenzene dianion]] (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>(C<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>)<sup>2−</sup> (second strongest superbase)
*[[Para-diethynylbenzene dianion]] (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>(C<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>)<sup>2−</sup> (third strongest superbase)
*[[Lithium monoxide anion]] (LiO<sup>−</sup>) was considered the strongest superbase before diethynylbenzene dianions were created.