Sulfonate
/ˈsʌl.fə.neɪt/noun
A salt or ester of a sulfonic acid, or to introduce a sulfonate group into a molecule.
Did you know?The root behind sulfur was long associated with fiery, pungent substances, and modern sulfonation became a key industrial reaction for making detergents, dyes, and pharmaceuticals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swel-
“to burn, to glow”
Latin
Latin
sulfur
“sulfur, brimstone”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
sulfon-
“a sulfur-containing chemical base used in learned scientific formation”
19th Century
English
sulfonate
“to convert into or form a sulfonic acid salt or ester”
Modern English
English
sulfonate
“a sulfonic acid salt or ester; to introduce such a group into a compound”