Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Bisulfate: (1) The conjugate base of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a strong acid (pKa = -9), so bisulfate ion is a weak base.

Deprotonation of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with water (H2O) produces bisulfate ion (HOSO3-; shown in red) and hydronium ion (H3O+).


Protonation of sulfate ion (SO42-) with hydronium ion (H3O+) produces bisulfate ion (HOSO3-; shown in red) and water (H2O).

(2) An ester of sulfuric acid in which only one sulfuric acid hydroxyl group has been esterified. The product of esterification of both sulfuric acid hydroxyl groups is a sulfate ester.


Methyl bisulfate (CH3OSO3H) can be produced by esterification of one hydroxyl group of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with methanol (CH3OH). Esterification of the second hydroxyl group produces methyl sulfate, (CH3O)2SO2.