Monoethylenically unsaturated alcohols of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms or the alkenoxylated adducts of such alcohols are reacted with a sulfating agent, such as, for example, sulfamic acid in the presence of an organic amide, i.e., urea, etc., as a catalyst at a temperature of about 85 DEG to about 125 DEG C. for a period of time sufficient to give a high degree of conversion as determined by the acid number of the reaction mixture. The resulting monomers, which are useful as co-monomers in emulsion polymerizations, as comonomers for the preparation of membranes and polyelectrolyte complexes, and as co-monomers which function as dye acceptors in the preparation of polymers from acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, etc., for use as films and fibers, are characterized by the following formula:
