Desulfonation The sulfonation reaction is reversible,and a sulfonic acid group may be removed(i.e.replaced by hydrogen)from the aromatic ring by heating in dilute sulfuric acid. SO H +H20 Heat (Often just steam is used for this reaction) The mechanism for desulfonation is identical to the sulfonation mechanism,except in the reverse order SO ce-delocalized) (S03+H,0←-HSO) Chl7 Reactions of Aromatic Compounds (landscape).docx Page9Ch17 Reactions of Aromatic Compounds (landscape).docx Page9 Desulfonation The sulfonation reaction is reversible, and a sulfonic acid group may be removed (i.e. replaced by hydrogen) from the aromatic ring by heating in dilute sulfuric acid. (Often just steam is used for this reaction). The mechanism for desulfonation is identical to the sulfonation mechanism, except in the reverse order