Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Sulfonate: (1) An ester of a sulfonic acid. An ester of the general molecular structure ROSO2R' is sulfonate ester.



General sulfonate ester
molecular structure.
   
Methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate
(methyl triflate)		   
Ethyl toluenesulfonate
(phenyl tosylate)

(2) A salt of a sulfonic acid. An anion of the general molecular structure RSO3- is a sulfonate anion or a sulfonate ion.



General sulfonate ion
molecular structure.
   
Trifluoromethanesulfonate ion
(triflate ion; TfO-)		   
Toluenesulfonate ion
(tosylate ion; TsO-)