sb. Chem. [See SULPHONIC and -ATE4.] A salt of sulphonic acid.
1876. Jrnl. Chem. Soc., I. 726. Sulphates almost entirely disappeared from the urine, their place being taken by sulphonates.
1883. Athenæum, 10 Feb., 188/3. By the action of caustic potash on the potassium sulphonate a trihydroxydiphenyl was formed.
Hence Sulphonate v., to convert into a sulphonate, as by the action of sulphuric acid; so Sulphonation.
1890. Athenæum, 27 Dec., 893/1. Sulphonation with its concomitant hydrolysis.
1902. Encycl. Brit., XXVI. 720/2. A sulphonating agent. Ibid., 728/2. Compounds such as dimethylaniline … are chlorinated, sulphonated, &c., without difficulty. Ibid. That sulphonation involves a similar series of changes there can be little if any doubt, as acetanilide behaves towards sulphonating agents just as it does on chlorination.
