Dimethyl sulfoxide

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Ball-and-stick model of dimethyl sulfoxide. The central yellow atom is sulfur, the red atom is oxygen, the black atoms are carbon, and the white atoms are hydrogen.

Dimethyl sulfoxide, also called DMSO, is an organic compound. It is the simplest sulfoxide, a type of chemical that has a sulfur atom between two carbon atoms and an oxygen atom. DMSO has the chemical formula (CH₃)₂S=O. DMSO is used as a solvent in chemistry and biology.

Chemistry

Dimethyl sulfoxide is a polar aprotic solvent: it can dissolve salts, but its hydrogen atoms do not make hydrogen bonds or react with most Brønsted bases.