Chlorosulfuric acid

Chlorosulfuric acid (HSO₃Cl) is a fuming, strongly corrosive mineral acid used as a sulfonating and chlorinating reagent.

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Sulfonation: A chemical reaction that introduces a sulfonic acid group into an organic molecule. Chlorosulfuric acid is a strong electrophilic reagent for installing sulfonic acid groups.
Detergent: A substance that helps remove dirt and grease, often through surfactant molecules. Chlorosulfuric acid can prepare sulfonated intermediates used in detergent manufacture.
Sulfuric acid: A strong diprotic mineral acid with formula H₂SO₄. Replacing one hydroxyl group of sulfuric acid with chlorine gives chlorosulfuric acid.
Chlorosulfonation: A reaction that introduces a sulfonyl chloride group onto an organic substrate. Chlorosulfuric acid is a standard reagent for chlorosulfonating aromatic compounds.
Electrophilic aromatic substitution: A reaction class in which an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom on an aromatic ring. Aromatic sulfonation with chlorosulfuric acid proceeds by electrophilic substitution.
Surfactant: A substance that lowers surface tension and commonly has water-attracting and oil-attracting regions. Sulfonation with chlorosulfuric acid can give organic molecules water-soluble surfactant groups.
Hydrogen chloride: A colorless gas that dissolves in water to form hydrochloric acid. Hydrolysis of chlorosulfuric acid produces hydrogen chloride alongside sulfuric acid.
Benzene: A six-carbon aromatic hydrocarbon with a planar ring of alternating carbon bonding. Benzene illustrates electrophilic aromatic substitution with chlorosulfuric acid.
Sulfonyl chloride: An organic functional group containing a sulfuryl center bonded to chlorine and carbon. Chlorosulfuric acid can convert aromatic substrates into sulfonyl chlorides.
Sulfonamide: An organic compound containing a sulfuryl group bonded to nitrogen. Sulfonyl chloride intermediates made with chlorosulfuric acid can be converted to sulfonamides.