The rate coecients and anion product branching ratios for the thermal (300 K) reactions of O 2 À , O À , OH À , CF 3 À , and F À with SeF 6 and TeF 6 are reported. Non-dissociative and dissociative electron transfer pathways are identi®ed, together with F abstraction and association. F À does not react with SeF 6 ; all the other reactions proceed at or close to the capture rate. This is in contrast to SF 6 , for which the only observed reaction with the above anions is slow (k 3.0 Â 10 À11 cm 3 molecule À1 s À1 ) electron transfer with O 2 À to form SF 6
À. The results are shown to be consistent with the available thermochemistry. There is evidence for a substantial intrinsic barrier to F abstraction, for this pathway is only observed when it is highly exothermic. There is a remarkably fast association reaction between F À and TeF 6 , arising from the high ¯uoride anity of TeF 6 and facile expansion of the Te co-ordination sphere to accommodate seven ligands.