What is Dimethyl sulfoxide?

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a colourless, widely used and powerful non-protonic solvent. It is known as a universal solvent and can be miscible with water and a wide range of organic solvents. It is derived from by-products extracted from wood pulp during the papermaking process and is also available synthetically from Zaytsev.

Applications

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a commonly used solvent for chemical reactions due to its good solubility, relative inertness, non-toxicity and stability at high temperatures.

Chemical Industry

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is used as a laboratory and industrial solvent for many gases, synthetic fibres, paints, hydrocarbons, salts and natural products. DMSO is used as an unconventional methylating agent for the synthesis of α-C-H methylated pyrazines and pyrazinones under metal-free conditions. DMSO can also be used for NMR chromatographic detection.

Medical Industry

Dimethyl sulfoxide has been shown to penetrate human skin with little or no effect on tissue. It can therefore be used in certain transdermal delivery systems and has been approved for the relief of symptoms of chronic interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome).

DMSO has anti-inflammatory, local anaesthetic, weak bacteriostatic and diuretic properties. It is primarily used as a topical analgesic for the treatment of burns, pain, sprains and incision healing. It reduces inflammation through several different mechanisms, including acting as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger at the site of injury. 50% DMSO is a particularly effective hydroxyl radical scavenger, providing pain relief by blocking peripheral C-fibres.

DMSO has been found to be very effective in the treatment of severe skin necrosis caused by accidental extravasation of the anticancer drug mitomycin C during intravenous administration. Topical prophylactic topical application of a combination of 10% alpha-tocopherol aldehyde and 90% DMSO after extravasation of an antineoplastic drug into the tissues but before ulceration has been found to universally prevent severe ulceration and tissue rupture.

In addition, DMSO is a common organic solvent used in biological reagents for cell cryopreservation and the formulation of active ingredient solutions for drugs.

References:

[1] KUNTAL PALIT; Nayim S, NIRANJAN PANDA*; Arylative Methylation of 2,3-Dihydropyrazines and Pyrazinones Using Dimethyl Sulfoxide as a C1 Source[J]. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023. DOI:10.1021/acs.joc.2c02675.