Toluenesulfonic acid, also known as tosylic acid, is a nonoxidizing organic acid that’s soluble in water, alcohols, ethers, and other polar solvents. This solubility makes it a very useful acid for a wide range of products that we use in our daily lives, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides.

It is commonly used as a catalyst in organic synthesis applications, industrial coatings applications, plastics and polymers. Further uses of p-toluenesuflonic acid include using it as a descaling agent in industrial metal cleaning applications, as an electroplating bath additive, and as a neutralizing agent in acrylonitrile production.