New anionic surfactants and methods of preparation which are derived from aromatic or substituted aromatic molecules and alkenesulfonic acid. Wherein the
aryl compound is alkylated and sulfonated in one-step with an
alkene sulfonic acid prior to
sulfonic acid neutralization. The methods allow the functional
sulfonate group to be attached to the end of the
alkyl chain rather than to the aromatic ring thus allowing for selective substituted groups, either branched, linear or alkoxylated or combinations thereof to be placed on the
aryl compound prior to sulfonation and
alkylation. The invention uses the
alkene sulfonic acid produced from thin-film sulfonation of an alpha-olefin to alkylate
benzene, mono-substituted aromatic, poly-substituted aromatic, alkylbenzene, alkoxylated
benzene, polycyclic aromatic, mono-substituted polycyclic aromatic, poly-substituted polycyclic aromatic,
naphthalene, alkylnaphthalene,
phenol,
alkylphenol, alkoxylated
phenol, and alkoxylated alkylphenolalkyl substituted or polysubstituted cyclic or polycyclic compounds to produce the corresponding sulfonic acid having an additional
alkyl group derived from the alpha-olefin used during the thin-film sulfonation which is either linear or branched.