Sodium 2-hydroxyethyl sulfonate (also known as sodium hydroxyethyl sulfonate) is a sodium salt of 2-hydroxyethanesulfonic acid (hydroxyethyl sulfonate), which is used as a hydrophilic head group in detergent active surfactants. Due to its strong polarity and resistance to multivalent ions, it is called hydroxyethyl sulfonate (acyloxyethanesulfonate). It is being studied as a high-yield chemical in the High Production (HPV) Chemical Challenge Program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Solid sodium 2-hydroxyethyl sulfonate is a colorless, free flowing, non hygroscopic solid that is easily soluble in water and has good biodegradability. Due to the synthesis method, the sample usually contains trace amounts of sodium sulfite or sodium bisulfite, resulting in a pH value of about 10 in the aqueous solution, which is weakly alkaline.
