Dimethyl sulfoxide

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organosulfur compound and polar aprotic solvent. It is also used as a cryoprotectant and topical drug, though medical uses are limited by safety and regulatory concerns.

Polar aprotic solvent: A solvent with substantial molecular polarity that lacks hydrogen atoms attached to oxygen or nitrogen for hydrogen bonding. DMSO is a widely used example, dissolving many ionic and polar compounds without donating protons.
Cryoprotectant: A substance that reduces damage to biological material during freezing and thawing. DMSO is a standard permeating cryoprotectant for many cultured cells.
Dimethylformamide: A polar aprotic amide solvent widely used in organic synthesis and industrial chemistry. DMF is a common alternative solvent with different toxicity and chemical reactivity.
Alexander Zaytsev: A Russian chemist known for work on organic sulfur compounds and Zaitsev's rule. Zaytsev first reported the preparation of DMSO in the nineteenth century.
Stanley Jacob: An American physician and researcher associated with early medical investigation of DMSO. Jacob helped bring DMSO to public attention through studies of its potential therapeutic uses.
Solvation: The process by which solvent molecules surround and interact with dissolved particles. DMSO stabilizes ions and polar molecules through strong interactions with its dipole.
Cell culture: The growth of cells outside an organism under controlled laboratory conditions. Laboratories commonly freeze cultured cells in media containing DMSO.
Dimethylacetamide: A polar aprotic amide solvent used in chemical processing and synthesis. DMAc offers similar solvent utility but differs in donor properties and health hazards.
Kraft pulping: A chemical process that separates cellulose fibers from wood using alkaline sulfide liquor. DMSO emerged as a byproduct of processing sulfite liquor from wood-pulp production.
Cryobiology: The study of how low temperatures affect living systems and biological materials. DMSO became a foundational tool for preserving cells and tissues at low temperatures.

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