Dimethyl sulfoxide

It is colorless liquid, and is hygroscopic. It is almost odorless with a bitter taste. It can be dissolved in water, ethanol, acetone, ether, benzene and chloroform.

First synthesized in 1866 by Alexander Zaytsev in the Russian Empire, dimethyl sulfoxide is an organosulfur compound. This colorless liquid is an important polar aprotic solvent that dissolves both polar and nonpolar compounds and is miscible in a wide range of organic solvents as well as water.

Dimethyl sulfoxide occurs as a colorless, viscous liquid, or as colorless crystals that are miscible with water, alcohol, and ether. The material hasa slightly bitter taste with a sweet aftertaste, and is odorless, or has a slight odor characteristic of dimethyl sulfoxide.Dimethyl sulfoxide is extremely hygroscopic, absorbing up to 70% of its own weight in water with evolution of heat.

ChEBI: Dimethyl sulfoxide is a 2-carbon sulfoxide in which the sulfur atom has two methyl substituents. It has a role as a polar aprotic solvent, a radical scavenger, a non-narcotic analgesic, an antidote, a MRI contrast agent, an Escherichia coli metabolite, a geroprotector and an alkylating agent. It is a sulfoxide and a volatile organic compound.

A clear liquid, essentially odorless. Closed cup flash point 192°F. Vapors are heavier than air. Contact with the skin may cause stinging and burning and lead to an odor of garlic on the breath. An excellent solvent that can transport toxic solutes through the skin. High vapor concentrations may cause headache, dizziness, and sedation.

1. It can be used for the extraction of arene, also as the reaction medium used for resins and dyes, and applied to acrylic polymerization and spinning solvent.2. It can be used as an organic solvent, reaction medium and the intermediates of organic synthesis. It is highly versatile. This product has a highly selective extraction capacity, and can be used as the polymerization and condensation solvent of acrylic resin and polysulfone resin, as the polymerization and spinning solvent of polyacrylonitrile and cellulose acetate, as the extraction solvent for separating alkanes and arenes, and as the reaction medium for the arenes, butadiene extraction, acrylic fiber, plastic solvents, organic and synthetic dyes, and pharmaceuticals industries. In the field of medicine, dimethyl sulfoxide has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect with a strong capability of penetration through the skin, and thus being able to dissolve certain drugs and boost their penetration into the human body to achieve the therapeutic purposes. Taking this carrier property of dimethyl sulfoxide can make it be used as pesticide additives. Add a small amount of dimethyl sulfoxide in some pesticides can facilitate the penetration of pesticides into the plant in order to improve the efficacy. dimethyl sulfoxide can also be used as the dye solvent, dye removing agent, and dye carrier for the synthetic fibers. It can also be used as the absorbent of recycling acetylene and sulfur dioxide and also the modifiers of synthetic fiber, antifreeze agent and the capacitor dielectric, brake oil, and extractant of the rare metals.3. It can be used as analytic solvents and fixing agent of gas chromatography as well as the solvent for analyzing UV spectra.

DMSO is a polar aprotic solvent used in chemical reactions, in polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and as a cryoprotectant vitrification agent for the preservation of cells, tissues and organs. DMSO is used in cell freezing media to protect cells from ice crystal induced mechanical injury. It is used for frozen storage of primary, sub-cultured, and recombinant heteroploid and hybridoma cell lines; embryonic stem cells (ESC), and hematopoietic stem cells. DMSO is frequently used in the combinations with BSA or fetal bovine serum (FBS).

Human and animal cell lines grown in culture are generally stored frozen. Freezing protects the cell line from changes due to genetic drift and minimizes risk of contamination. Liquid nitrogen used in conjunction with a cryoprotective agent such as DMSO is a widely used method for preserving cells. Without the presence of a cryoprotective agent, freezing is lethal to most mammalian cells. Damage is caused by mechanical injury by ice crystals, concentration of electrolytes, pH changes, and denaturation of proteins. These lethal effects are minimized by adding a cryoprotective agent which lowers

Dimethyl sulfoxide (1-10%) has been shown to accelerate strand renaturation and is believed to give the nucleic acid thermal stability against depurination. As a PCR cosolvent, DMSO may help improve yields, especially in long PCR.

A polar aprotic solvent used in polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and as a cryoprotectant vitrification agent for the preservation of cells, tissues and organs.

Dimethyl sulfoxide is prepared by air oxidation of dimethyl sulfide in the presence of nitrogen oxides. It can also be obtained as a by product of wood pulp manufacture for the paper and allied industries.