DMSO
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Chemistry
| Stands for | Dimethyl sulfoxide |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
DMSO stands for Dimethyl sulfoxide, a chemistry abbreviation also used in medicine.
Colorless polar aprotic solvent, (CH3)2SO, that dissolves an unusually wide range of polar and nonpolar substances and mixes with water. It is used in organic reactions, to store drug-screening libraries and to protect cells during freezing, and it penetrates skin readily, carrying dissolved substances with it.
Example: Compounds were dissolved in DMSO at 10 mM and stored at -20 °C.
Usage notes
First synthesized by Alexander Zaytsev in 1866, DMSO is produced industrially from by-products of paper pulping. People who handle it often notice a garlic-like taste or breath soon afterward. Because it carries solutes through skin, gloves must be chosen carefully, as some materials degrade quickly. DMSO freezes at about 19 °C and can solidify in a cool lab.
Related abbreviations
More chemistry abbreviations
- conc. – Concentrated
- DCM – Dichloromethane
- DDT – Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
- DFT – Density functional theory
- DI – Deionized (water)
- DMF – Dimethylformamide
- DSC – Differential scanning calorimetry
- EDTA – Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- EPR – Electron paramagnetic resonance
- EPS – Expanded polystyrene
- equiv – Equivalent(s)
- ESI – Electrospray ionization