Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solvent
Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solvent - Related Videos
02:35
Long-Term Cryopreservation of Cyanobacterial Strains Using Glycerol or Dimethyl Sulfoxide
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2025
Source: Lea-Smith, D. J., et al. Generation of Marked and Markerless Mutants in Model Cyanobacterial Species. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates the cryopreservation of cyanobacterial strains by combining concentrated cell suspensions with glycerol or DMSO and storing them at low temperatures, enabling long-term maintenance of viable cultures for photosynthesis and genetic studies.
01:12
Solvents
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2019
A solvent is a substance, most often a liquid, that can dissolve other substances. Here, the substance being dissolved is called a solute. When a solvent and a solute combine, they form a solution - a homogenous mixture of both the solvent and the solute. Water is a universal biological solvent. Its polar structure allows it to dissolve many other polar compounds. The ability of water to dissolve is governed by a balance between water molecules binding to each other and binding to the solute. A...
06:43
Rotary Evaporation to Remove Solvent
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2023
Source: Dr. Melanie Pribisko Yen and Grace Tang — California Institute of Technology Rotary evaporation is a technique most commonly used in organic chemistry to remove a solvent from a higher-boiling point compound of interest. The rotary evaporator, or "rotovap", was invented in 1950 by the chemist Lyman C. Craig. The primary use of a rotovap is to dry and purify samples for downstream applications. Its speed and ability to handle large volumes of solvent make rotary evaporation a preferred...
09:41
Schlenk Lines Transfer of Solvents
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2023
Source: Hsin-Chun Chiu and Tyler J. Morin, laboratory of Dr. Ian Tonks—University of Minnesota Twin Cities Schlenk lines and high vacuum lines are both used to exclude moisture and oxygen from reactions by running reactions under a slight overpressure of inert gas (usually N2 or Ar) or under vacuum. Vacuum transfer has been developed as a method separate solvents (other volatile reagents) from drying agents (or other nonvolatile agents) and dispense them to reaction or storage vessels while...
08:13
Preparation of Biopolymer Aerogels Using Green Solvents
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Cited by 44 •
2016
A new way for the production of biopolymer-based aerogels by carbon dioxide (CO2) induced gelation is shown. The technique utilizes pressurized carbon dioxide (5 MPa) for the production of biopolymer hydrogels and supercritical CO2 (12 MPa) to convert gels into aerogels. The only solvents needed besides CO2 are water and ethanol.
FAQs
The strongly polarized sulfur–oxygen bond gives DMSO substantial polarity and strong hydrogen-bond-accepting ability. Because its structure lacks acidic hydrogen atoms, the solvent can interact effectively with cations without providing the same type of acidic contribution. This balance helps DMSO dissolve ionic and polar substances while supporting reaction environments in which anions remain comparatively reactive.
DMSO solvates cations while leaving many anions relatively reactive, a combination that can favor nucleophilic behavior. In a nucleophilic substitution, an electron-rich species attacks a suitable reaction center and replaces another group. DMSO is therefore useful when the solvent must accommodate ionic components without strongly suppressing the anion’s ability to participate in the reaction.
Dissolution depends largely on how the compound interacts with DMSO’s polarity and hydrogen-bond-accepting character. Ionic, polar, and many organic compounds can be accommodated because they engage with the solvent through different molecular interactions. This broad compatibility makes DMSO valuable for reaction screening, where researchers may need to evaluate several compounds under comparable solvent conditions.
Its usefulness depends on the role required in the experiment. For oxidation, DMSO can serve within an oxidation reaction environment; for extraction, its solvent properties help accommodate targeted dissolved substances; and for reaction screening, its broad dissolving capacity supports testing different compounds. The appropriate choice therefore follows the mixture’s polarity, ionic character, and intended chemical transformation.
DMSO extends its chemical usefulness into biological preservation by serving as a cryoprotective medium for biological samples. In this context, its role connects solvent chemistry with the preservation of cells and tissues rather than with reaction conversion alone. Its inclusion is relevant when a workflow must maintain biological material during cryopreservation-related handling.
DMSO requires careful handling because it readily penetrates skin and can carry dissolved substances with it. This property means that contact may create a pathway for other materials present in the solution, not merely expose skin to the solvent itself. Laboratory procedures should therefore treat contaminated DMSO solutions as a combined exposure concern and emphasize appropriate handling practices.