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meth·ane·sul·fon·ic acid | \ ˌme-ˌthān-ˌsəl-ˈfä-nik- 
, -ˈfō- \
, -ˈfō- \variants:
or methane sulfonic acid
Definition of methanesulfonic acid
chemistry
: a corrosive liquid acid CH4O3S that is used especially as a catalyst in chemical reactions (such as polymerization and esterification)
Methanesulfonic acid has been developed as an esterification catalyst in place of sulfuric acid for the synthesis of resins in paints and coatings.— Stanley E. Manahan, Toxicological Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2003 The mesylate salt is obtained by reaction with methanesulfonic acid.— Anna M. Wodlinger, Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 2005
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The first known use of methanesulfonic acid was in 1892
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