Chemists and researchers have steadily pushed the boundaries of organic and fluorinated chemistry through the past half-century. In the early years, introducing sulfonic acid groups to organic frameworks unlocked higher chemical stability and aqueous solubility. With perfluorinated groups such as nonafluorobutyl finding their way into the molecules, a new era of surfactants, wetting agents, and specialty intermediates began. The branched design of 1-Propanesulfonic Acid, 3-[Hexyl[(Nonafluorobutyl)Sulfonyl]Amino]-2-Hydroxy-, Monoammonium Salt shows how chemical innovation stacks specific functionalities to answer the real-world demands of environmental durability, ion exchange, and selective solubility. Behind the lengthy names and daunting formulas, teams of people have blended practical know-how, improved manufacturing control, and a fair bit of patience to deliver something that actually solves tricky problems in labs and factories.
You see this compound in advanced material applications, bench-scale syntheses, and patent filings for specialty surfactants. The molecule combines a sulfonic acid tail, a fluorosulfonyl amine link, and a balance of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups, topped with an ammonium salt counterion. The full structure delivers outstanding performance in scenarios requiring chemical resistance or specific ionic behavior. While casual observers might miss the esoteric value, industry insiders lean on compounds like this when solving hydration, surface modification, or conductivity challenges.
Robustness defines this molecule both in solution and solid form. At room temperature, the material typically appears as a white or off-white powder or crystalline solid, with moderate solubility in water and high thermal stability. The nonafluorobutyl group resists oxidative and acidic conditions, lending the compound a shelf life well-suited for demanding chemical environments. Blending hydroxy, amino, and sulfonic acid parts sparks unique reactivity, such as the ability to act as both acid and ligand under different conditions. Its amphiphilic design translates into dispersibility, yet holds back from being outright soap-like – which is where careful process selection becomes vital.
Formulators and buyers expect exactitude. Batch quality consistently aims for a purity level above 98%, with well-controlled moisture, trace inorganic content below 500 ppm, and storage in amber-glass containers to minimize UV-induced degradation. Labeling typically includes molecular weight, CAS number, and required GHS symbols due to potential irritation or toxicological hazards. Laboratories involved in regulatory compliance often demand detailed certificates of analysis, outlining melting point, FTIR spectra, and elemental analysis, supported by in-house reference standards.
Synthetic access to this propanesulfonic acid derivative depends on multiple carefully performed steps. Chemists start by protecting functional groups that may interfere with subsequent transformations. Introducing the nonafluorobutylsulfonyl amine moiety involves nucleophilic substitution using sulfonyl fluorides in dry organic solvents. Subsequent N-hexylation and installation of the hydroxy group set the stage for final sulfonation by controlled reaction with fuming sulfuric acid or sulfonylating agents. Neutralizing with aqueous ammonia rounds out the process, producing the monoammonium salt and liberating minimal by-products when reaction conditions remain steady and temperatures kept within a narrow tolerance window.
The story of this compound's behavior in the flask is only just beginning at its isolation. The sulfonic acid segment enables salt formation and ionic exchange, crucial for membrane and phase-transfer catalyst development. Chemists may elaborate the primary alcohol to ethers or esters for modified solubility or reactivity. Introducing other functional groups at the amino site, such as alkyl or aryl chains, can further tune hydrophobicity for compatibility with advanced polymer blends. The robust C-F bonds in the nonafluorobutyl tail present one of the more enduring features, offering chemical persistence but raising questions about environmental fate that require further study both in bench settings and in regulatory offices.
Industry and academia work under several names for the same substance, a situation that often confuses even seasoned professionals. Trade names may shorten the systematic name to “Hexyl-NFBSA ammonium salt” or “Perfluorobutyl hexyl sulfonamide propanols.” Catalogues and suppliers add their own branding, signaling proprietary formulations versus pure analytical standards. For clarity, product codes and CAS registry numbers remain the gold standard in documentation and safe handling.
Facilities handling this material respect its chemical activity and related hazards by following rigorous protocols. Inhalation or skin exposure can lead to irritation, so fume hoods, nitrile gloves, and fitted goggles become daily lab habits. Material safety data sheets assign it a precautionary classification due to uncertainty in chronic toxicity, particularly given concerns over perfluorinated segments. Disposal routes avoid municipal drains and instead use high-temperature incineration or specialized chemical waste contractors. Training workers on emergency spill response and safe storage keeps environmental releases rare and contained.
Firms and institutes incorporate this molecule for more than just its eye-catching name. Membrane fabrication for batteries and fuel cells leans on its ionic conductivity, chemical endurance, and clean combustion properties. Research into surfactants for oil recovery, semiconductor processing, and anti-fouling coatings often trials propanesulfonic acid derivatives for their ability to lower surface tension in harsh conditions and provide stable wetting without breakdown under heat or acid. Electrochemical studies take advantage of its unique charge distribution for reference electrodes and salt bridges. These uses open the door to technology improvements spanning the entire modern energy, water treatment, and electronics panorama.
Universities, private R&D groups, and collaborative consortia pour resources into understanding and improving the synthesis, reactivity, and application spectrum of sulfonic acid derivatives like this one. Analytical techniques such as NMR, mass spectrometry, and advanced X-ray crystallography reveal atomic intricacies, which help fine-tune performance in real-world products. Partnerships between chemical suppliers and high-tech manufacturers continue to optimize formulation methods, deliver scalability, and document lifecycle impacts that regulators increasingly demand. Investments in greener synthetic techniques—such as solvent recycling, lower-yield byproduct capture, or alternative sulfonation reagents—demonstrate a commitment to responsible chemistry that strengthens public trust and corporate resilience.
Scrutiny over perfluorinated chemicals has sharpened as environmental persistence and biomagnification evidence grows. Toxicologists test for acute and chronic effects in living cells, rodents, and models simulating human metabolism. Measurable impacts on liver and kidney function, hormone systems, and ecological markers prompt calls for transparent data and clear risk assessments. Regulatory agencies implement stricter guidelines for worker exposure limits, permissible discharge levels, and post-market surveillance. Manufacturers now coordinate with public health authorities to monitor downstream accumulation and inform communities of findings, closing the gap between lab-based estimates and field observations. Responsible stewardship requires honest sharing of both data and uncertainties, supporting efforts for substitution or remediation if possible.
The road ahead for this group of chemicals weaves through technical advancement, safety evaluation, and regulatory attention. Industry shifts toward sustainability hinge on reformulating or redesigning molecules to balance function and environmental impact. Investment keeps growing in alternative chemistries, such as partially fluorinated or fluorine-free surfactants with similar properties but shorter environmental half-lives. Digital modeling tools and high-throughput screening speed candidate discovery, while data sharing on toxicity and manufacturing impacts helps guide public policy toward risk-based oversight. Progress here means everyone in the supply chain stays engaged—scientists, engineers, regulators, and communities—so that future generations inherit both the benefits of innovation and the care to manage its consequences. In my own experience following these developments, the most lasting gains come from tackling complexity directly and keeping an open channel with every voice affected.
With a name that’s better suited for a spelling bee than a dinner table, 1-Propanesulfonic Acid, 3-[Hexyl[(Nonafluorobutyl)Sulfonyl]Amino]-2-Hydroxy-, Monoammonium Salt holds a spot in a modern niche where chemistry meets technology. Anyone who’s followed advances in materials science over the last decade will know that seemingly arcane compounds can carry big impact—sometimes hiding where only lab coats go, often defining the limits of both possibility and safety for major industries.
Big chemistry companies—and researchers frustrated by the slow pace of old-school reagents—turn to specialty fluorochemicals like this one for a reason. The compound blends fluorinated backbones with the functionality that keeps ions moving, making it a prime choice for electrochemistry. Take lithium-ion batteries. The drive for longer range, safer, and cooler-running batteries means searching out new salts and additives every year. Compounds rich in fluorine help manufacturers raise the performance bar, especially during fast charging, deep discharges, or high-temperature cycling. The nonafluorobutyl group—nine fluorines, all lined up—pushes the boundaries for both chemical stability and low volatility.
People who work on next-generation batteries recognize the role these salts take in electrolytes. These structures let lithium ions flow between electrodes without breaking down, eating away at separators, or corroding everything around them. Electrolyte additives with both sulfonic and fluorinated groups fight off unwanted side reactions that kill battery life. The result: batteries that last longer, swell less, and fire up phones or cars at full tilt through overheated summers and bitter winters.
Fluorinated surfactants have long track records in places where regular soaps won’t cut it. Their chemical toughness lets them coat electronic components and textiles, adding water and oil resistance that stays on through harsh processing. Firefighting foams and etching agents in circuit board shops tip their hats to these sorts of fluorochemicals, too, because they stick around where others fall apart, keeping the action predictable and reliable.
All this performance brings questions. Those nonafluorobutyl groups don’t break down easily. In my experience, people start asking how safe it is to keep pouring synthetic fluorinated chemicals into the world when we know some linger for generations. Europe keeps tightening rules around perfluorinated compounds, pushing anyone who uses or disposes of these materials to think twice. Having worked with industrial wastewater, I’ve seen how hard it gets to capture and destroy even tiny traces of fluorinated surfactants—standard filters don’t catch them, and incinerators need extreme settings. Only robust containment and closed-loop processing stand a chance in stopping environmental leaks.
One way to manage the risk surrounds research partnerships between manufacturers and environmental chemists. Developing regeneration processes to recover and reuse these salts, or engineering microorganisms to break down tough fluorinated chains, is gaining traction. Regulatory frameworks now link funding and access to demonstrating end-of-life solutions for new chemicals, forcing innovation throughout the supply chain.
Anyone using or handling these chemicals must treat them with the same respect as the energy and safety benefits they potentially unlock. My own time in lab safety reinforced a simple equation—if the handling and disposal plan reads as an afterthought, you probably haven’t cracked the whole problem yet. The world doesn’t move backward but combining technical know-how with environmental responsibility lines up with where things need to go.
Storing and handling chemicals goes beyond following a checklist. The way we manage these substances protects not only the people working nearby but everyone around, from delivery drivers to neighbors living down the road. Just one mix-up can turn a routine day dangerous. I’ve seen warehouses after chemical leaks—everything gets contaminated, work shuts down, and the cleanup burns through resources that no company wants to lose. More importantly, the risks don’t end at the building’s edge. Leaks or fumes can drift, turning what looks like a private issue into a full-blown community crisis.
Some chemicals react fiercely to heat or cold. Imagine hydrogen peroxide in a sunny window—next thing you know, it vents gas, building up pressure with nowhere to go. On the opposite end, certain acids crystalize if cooled, clogging equipment or splitting containers. Always check the specific storage temperature for each chemical. A common sense approach works better than memorizing a textbook. Keep acids, oxidizers, and solvents in shaded, well-ventilated spaces. A basic thermometer on the wall pays for itself in peace of mind.
Stacking chemicals side by side without checking compatibility feeds disasters. Acids stored right next to bases, or oxidizers squeezed near organic solvents, often spark uncontrolled reactions if containers break. A real-life incident taught me how a single drop of spilled bleach dripped onto ammonia—a cloud of toxic gas filled the air within seconds. Group chemicals with matching hazard types and double-check storage charts. Even in smaller operations, you owe it to your team to prevent accidental mixing.
Cheap storage containers cost far more than they save if they corrode, crack, or leak. Metal drums corrode from hydrochloric acid vapors and plastic bottles weaken in direct sun. Inspect the packaging on delivery, making sure all seals are tight and labels stay readable after a few months on the shelf. Nobody wants to grab a faded jug, wipe off the label, and hope for the best. Good labels should list contents, hazards, and clear handling instructions—the main info you want if something spills in a hurry.
Nobody likes wearing thick gloves and goggles in summer, but a quick rinse goes further than any complaint when skin gets splashed with caustic soda. Stock PPE near storage areas and check expiration dates on safety gear. Make sure the nearest eyewash and emergency shower still work—one skipped test, and you may not realize a valve jams until it’s too late. Spill kits with absorbent pads, neutralizers, and waste bins should sit within arm’s reach. Training matters more than the fanciest equipment; I’ve watched experienced crews contain leaks with old towels because they worked together fast.
Safety starts with everyone in the loop. Refresh staff training every few months and walk through storage rooms to spot risky bottlenecks or drips before they grow. The reality—most accidents start with routine becoming too casual. Management corners, line employees, and visitors all play a role in spotting problems early on.
Focus on clear procedures before trouble hits. Regular inspections, refreshed inventory lists, and a “speak up” culture help catch gaps before regulations force an expensive fix. Share experiences and lessons learned. Talking openly—about close calls, about near-misses—shapes habits more than rules nailed to the wall. Long-term, safer chemical management leaves everyone less anxious and more focused on the tasks that matter.
Every household and workplace fills up with products that promise convenience, cleaning, or good looks. Some bottles or tubs come with big, loud warnings—skull and crossbones, or a fat exclamation point. Most others keep advice small, hidden in fine print. Growing up, I’d watch my parents treat bleach like liquid dynamite, refusing to store it near anything else. Years later, in my own kitchen, I realized how fast one careless mix or splash can create a problem nobody expects.
Many injuries involving household chemicals come down to not reading directions or not taking labels seriously. Bleach, ammonia, and drain cleaners belong to the top of the hazard list at home. Ammonia mixed with bleach releases toxic gases; drain openers can burn skin or blind an eye. Yet more subtle products leave their mark—bug sprays, aerosol cleaners, nail polish remover—silently inhaled or absorbed through skin. The Consumer Product Safety Commission tracks emergency room visits from these accidents. Each year in the United States, around 10,000 kids under five end up in ERs after swallowing cosmetics or cleaning supplies. These numbers stay steady, not dropping, because oversight dies down after the first scare.
Workplaces see the same patterns, just with bigger containers and more people at risk. I worked summers at a hardware store where paint thinners and rust removers filled entire aisles. OSHA regulations made us keep sheets explaining each chemical and post clear instructions, but the real test was talking to customers or new hires. Someone always ignored the gloves or skipped the goggles—burns and coughs followed. Direct skin exposure to strong solvents or acids invites chemical burns that can scar for life. In small businesses or corners of garages, outdated containers get reused, making safe storage even harder.
Trusting the makers to guard against all mistakes sets up disappointment. Labels now reflect more than just legal box-checking—they warn about real injuries and outline tested steps for storage, disposal, and safe use. These warnings exist because accidents happened in the past, sometimes during normal use. Follow the instructions because they come from documented cases, and the recommended gloves or masks aren’t fancy extras—they block real harm.
Looking at product safety, it’s easy to believe that a once-over on the packaging covers everything. People often make assumptions—“it’s sold in stores, so it must be safe”—that break down under stress or with misuse. The EPA and CDC gather data from hospitals and manufacturers to set safety thresholds, but risk shifts fast if products get mixed or used outside their intent.
Fixing these hazards at home or work goes beyond running down a checklist. Regularly check what’s under the sink or on the workshop shelf. Toss containers that leak, lose their label, or have no clear info. Keep phone numbers for poison control or emergency help within arm’s reach. Talk openly about these dangers with kids, roommates, or coworkers—set rules for mixing, storing, and wearing protective equipment.
Everyone wins if fewer people end up at the ER or at risk of lifelong harm from a moment’s carelessness. Treat safety precautions and directions as more than rules—they’re the result of other people’s painful mistakes, and they help everyone stay out of danger.
Even folks who never set foot in a lab recognize danger signs on a bottle. That skull and crossbones warns more than just scientists. Years ago, I bumped into the reality of this after finishing my first high school chemistry project. I poured leftover chemicals straight down the drain—my teacher’s face said it all. Many don’t see harm in flushing tiny bits, but damage builds up. Heavy metals, solvents, and acids don’t vanish; they end up in streams and sometimes right back in our tap water.
Studies from the EPA show that water treatment plants aren’t set up to catch every exotic molecule. Mercury, lead, certain solvents—they slide through, harming wildlife and even winding up on our dinner plate. Local communities face rising costs cleaning up pollution from careless disposal. Some chemicals, like expired medications, change the makeup of entire river ecosystems as fish and invertebrates absorb them.
Disposal methods depend on the compound’s properties. Some break down in landfills, others need high-temperature incineration, and a few demand handling in government-licensed hazardous waste facilities. Dumping bleach outside doesn’t compare to tossing out chemical fertilizers or strong acids. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) isn’t just for lawyers—it spells out what hurts us and what keeps communities safe.
I once joined a university research group, and our older chemistry tech spent more time explaining the “why” behind rules than teaching the experiments themselves. He showed us flasks filled with clear liquid that looked harmless, then pointed at cancers and neurological issues documented in workers exposed to those same solvents back in the 1970s. Real damage, real consequences.
People often ask if it’s okay to toss a chemical in the trash, since “landfills handle everything.” That idea falls apart. Abandoned paints, pesticides, and e-waste leak out, poisoning soil and pushing cleanup costs onto cities. Over 20% of hazardous waste incidents in the US come from household products dumped with regular garbage, according to research published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Bring unused or unwanted chemicals to a local collection site. Most cities organize household hazardous waste events. These places separate, secure, and neutralize compounds correctly. Schools and businesses shouldn’t wait for accidents to ask for a disposal plan—they can contact certified waste companies or their local fire department for advice.
Planning ahead reduces the mountain of waste that needs special disposal. Buy only what’s needed, share leftovers with neighbors who might use them, and switch to safer alternatives when possible. Label everything clearly. Once, our lab almost mixed two storeroom bottles—unmarked except for faded tape—creating a toxic mess. Clear labels saved the day.
Science keeps moving. New research teaches us how chemicals travel far beyond where we pour them. Real safety grows from habits that protect more than just the lab bench. Responsible disposal keeps drinking water clean, saves wildlife, and prevents long-term health problems—plain benefits everyone can get behind.
Getting into chemical products demands more than a quick glance at a specification sheet. Many products go by trade names or generic labels, but the real defining features live in their molecular makeup. Knowing the molecular weight holds more power than most assume. It can tell you not just the size, but also the potential functionality, routes of metabolism, even the way a chemical will behave during purification or formulation.
Every lab worker gets familiarized with the idea early on: molecular weight reveals the sum of all atomic masses in a molecule. For someone mixing reagents or designing new drugs, a wrong number throws everything off. Even outside the lab, compliance teams, consultants, and formulators depend on these numbers to judge how a substance might travel in the body, pass through a membrane, or get excreted. For instance, polyethylene glycol (PEG) comes in a range of weights; PEG 400 acts nothing like PEG 8000, and that number needs to make it into dossiers and safety files.
Structure decides not just what a chemical can do, but how it behaves under pressure, heat, reaction, and even legal scrutiny. One atom swapped out, and suddenly a substance could turn from harmless to dangerous, or from low-grade material to highly regulated. Think about isomers: two compounds with the same atoms, same molecular weight, and totally different properties. Companies spent fortunes differentiating them in synthesis and testing. Regulatory filing gets stuck if the structure is wrong, or not specified to a satisfactory detail. Patent cliffs can depend on a single bond’s position in a chemical’s backbone.
Leaving out molecular weight and structure means leaving too much to chance. Drug makers rely on high-precision analytical tools. Lacking these key details, medicines risk inconsistency from batch to batch. Food and supplement manufacturers face recalls and even lawsuits for misidentifying the chemical backbone of an additive. For chemists like myself, a missing structure means a roadblock—no modeling, no predictions, no meaningful safety assessment.
Investing in spectroscopic analysis pays off. NMR, IR, and MS reveal structures with enough clarity to file accurate paperwork. Suppliers sharing comprehensive analysis win customer trust. Cross-checking product lots with third-party labs stops costly surprises before they hit manufacturing. For buyers, vetting suppliers who provide certificates of analysis isn’t just paperwork; it saves time and money down the line by reducing regulatory headaches and failed formulations.
Authorities like the FDA and EMA expect full disclosure, with chemical diagrams and weights written clearly in every registration file. Their guidelines reflect years of product recalls and safety failures. Bypassing these requirements doesn’t just break rules—it risks public health and company reputation. Getting precise with structure and weight isn’t a red tape hassle; it’s non-negotiable for safe, effective products.
Transparent supply chains depend on verified data, not assumptions or copied specs. The smallest details, down to molecular structure and weight, allow every link in the chain to operate with confidence. In my own practice, most disputes over quality can be traced to missed or misrepresented chemical data. Relying on trusted partners and quality documentation builds resiliency into every step from raw material to finished product.
![1-Propanesulfonic Acid, 3-[Hexyl[(Nonafluorobutyl)Sulfonyl]Amino]-2-Hydroxy-, Monoammonium Salt](/static/81c4c90b-3bfe-4770-bbec-fcbf5e0a3809/images/2d/1-propanesulfonic-acid-3-hexyl-nonafluorobutyl-sulfonyl-amino-2-hydroxy-monoammonium-salt.png)
![1-Propanesulfonic Acid, 3-[Hexyl[(Nonafluorobutyl)Sulfonyl]Amino]-2-Hydroxy-, Monoammonium Salt](/static/81c4c90b-3bfe-4770-bbec-fcbf5e0a3809/images/3d/1-propanesulfonic-acid-3-hexyl-nonafluorobutyl-sulfonyl-amino-2-hydroxy-monoammonium-salt.gif)
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | Monoazanium 3-[hexyl[(1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutyl)sulfonyl]amino]-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate |
| Other names |
C10H21F9N2O6S2 1-Propanesulfonic acid, 3-[hexyl[(nonafluorobutyl)sulfonyl]amino]-2-hydroxy-, monoammonium salt Hexyl(nonafluorobutylsulfonyl)amino-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid monoammonium salt HEPS-NFBS-AMMONIUM |
| Pronunciation | /proʊˌpeɪn.sʌlˈfɒnɪk ˈæsɪd θri hɛksɪl nɒnəˌflʊəroʊˈbjuːtɪl sʌlˈfoʊnɪl æmˈinoʊ tuː haɪˈdrɒksi ˌmɒnoʊəˈmoʊniəm sælt/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 143890-45-1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | `JSmol.load('data/mol: 1-Propanesulfonic Acid, 3-[Hexyl[(Nonafluorobutyl)Sulfonyl]Amino]-2-Hydroxy-, Monoammonium Salt')` |
| Beilstein Reference | 3777903 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:139488 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL4445705 |
| ChemSpider | 26491493 |
| DrugBank | DB13274 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 03b88d30-da5f-42e7-9682-aa0be673c5bf |
| EC Number | 254-301-6 |
| Gmelin Reference | Gmelin Reference: 1038092 |
| KEGG | C22177 |
| MeSH | D000072577 |
| PubChem CID | 155420512 |
| RTECS number | WOJ9152C3I |
| UNII | X3UNF1232Z |
| UN number | 3276 |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | DTXSID3021326 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C13H23F9N2O5S2 |
| Molar mass | 649.46 g/mol |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.37 g/cm³ |
| Solubility in water | Soluble in water |
| log P | -1.2 |
| Vapor pressure | <0.01 mmHg (25°C, estimated) |
| Acidity (pKa) | pKa ≈ -1 (strong acid) |
| Basicity (pKb) | 6.52 |
| Magnetic susceptibility (χ) | -62.0×10⁻⁶ cm³/mol |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.397 |
| Viscosity | 1300 cP (25°C) |
| Dipole moment | 3.98 D |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | Causes serious eye irritation. Causes skin irritation. May cause respiratory irritation. |
| GHS labelling | GHS07, GHS08 |
| Pictograms | GHS05, GHS07 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | H315, H319, H335 |
| Precautionary statements | P264, P270, P273, P280, P301+P312, P305+P351+P338, P330, P337+P313, P501 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 1-2-1 |
| Flash point | Flash point: >110°C (230°F) |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (median dose): >2000 mg/kg (rat) |
| PEL (Permissible) | Not established |
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | Not established |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
1-Propanesulfonic acid Nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid Hexylamine Ammonium 1-propanesulfonate N-Hexyl-N-(nonafluorobutyl)sulfonamide Hydroxypropanesulfonic acid derivatives Sulfonic acid salts |
