A Carbon Material as a Strong Protonic Acid

Incomplete carbonization of sulfoaromatic hydrocarbons results in a carbon material that consists of small polycyclic aromatic carbon sheets with attached SO3H groups (see picture). This insoluble solid acid exhibits remarkably high activity in the formation of ethyl acetate, the hydrolysis of cyclohexyl acetate, and the hydration of 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene.