Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Sulfate: (1) An oxyanion consisting of a tetrahedral sulfur atom bonded to four oxygen atoms, and with a total formal charge of -2. The conjugate base formed by deprotonation of bisulfate ion, or by double deprotonation of sulfuric acid.

Lewis structure		Ball and spoke		Space filling model

Molecular structure of sulfate ion.

Reaction of ethanol (an alcohol) with sulfuric acid can form ethyl sulfate.