Why is the "Universal" Solvent "Universal"?

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a hydrogen bond breaker. It is a sulfur-containing organic compound, appearing as a colorless, odorless, transparent liquid at room temperature. It is a hygroscopic, flammable liquid with properties such as high polarity, high boiling point, good thermal stability, being aprotic, and miscible with water. It can dissolve in most organic substances like ethanol, propanol, benzene, and chloroform, thus earning the reputation of a "universal" solvent.

How is the "Universal" Solvent "Universal"?

• Proficient in traditional petroleum processing

Dimethyl sulfoxide can be used as an extraction solvent in aromatic hydrocarbon extraction, boasting numerous advantages: high selectivity for aromatic hydrocarbons, unrestricted miscibility with aromatic hydrocarbons at room temperature, no reaction with alkanes, alkenes, or water, non-corrosive, non-toxic, low extraction temperature, simple extraction process, and recyclable solvent through back extraction. It is currently used in some imported devices in China.

Pure dimethyl sulfoxide has a freezing point of 18.45°C, and a 40% water-containing dimethyl sulfoxide does not freeze at -60°C. Moreover, dimethyl sulfoxide releases heat when mixed with water or snow. These properties allow it to be used as a component in automobile antifreeze, brake fluid, and hydraulic fluid. Ethylene glycol antifreeze becomes ineffective below -40°C, and it has a lower boiling point, is toxic, and tends to cause vapor lock. Dimethyl sulfoxide antifreeze can be used in frigid regions as a deicer, in coatings, latex antifreeze, gasoline and jet fuel deicers, and as an antifreeze for low-temperature preservation of bone marrow and blood, among other applications.

In addition, dimethyl sulfoxide can be used in food wax refining, edible white oil refining, carcinogen detection, recovery of petroleum gas and acetylene, production of dissolved acetylene, refining of lubricating oil and diesel, as a reaction solvent in ferrocene production, and in the production of nitroalkanes. Currently, new uses for dimethyl sulfoxide are continuously being developed.

• Skilled in cell cryopreservation

Dimethyl sulfoxide is currently the best cell cryopreservation protectant. During cell cryopreservation at ultra-low temperatures (-200°C), using a cryoprotectant containing dimethyl sulfoxide can prevent the formation of ice crystals in intracellular fluid, changes in osmotic pressure, and disruption of cell structure.

Dimethyl sulfoxide can quickly penetrate cell membranes to enter cells, lower the freezing point, delay the cryopreservation process, and increase intracellular ion concentration, thereby reducing the formation of intracellular ice crystals and minimizing cell damage. It is currently a widely used cell cryoprotectant.

• "Spinning" synthetic fibers

In acrylic fiber spinning, acrylonitrile polymerizes in dimethyl sulfoxide, and without separation, it can be directly spun in a water bath to obtain fluffy, soft, and easily dyed artificial wool. Its advantages include simplified processes, high solubility, high solvent boiling point, non-toxicity, easy recovery, good product performance, and low cost.

At present, some acrylic factories in Yuci (Shanxi), Dalian (Liaoning), and Beijing in China use this process for production. In recent years, it has also been applied in the production of carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile. Abroad, dimethyl sulfoxide is used in the production of polyester resins and in the production of polyvinyl chloride fibers.

• The "universal" solvent is also a "universal medicine"

Dimethyl sulfoxide has solubility and permeability for many drugs. It itself has effects such as anti-inflammation, pain relief, promotion of blood circulation and wound healing, diuresis, and sedation. It can increase drug absorption and enhance efficacy, thus being known as a "universal medicine" abroad.

Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Beijing Institute of Materia Medica, and China National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products conducted comprehensive toxicological tests and pathological anatomy on dimethyl sulfoxide in the 1960s, confirming that domestically produced dimethyl sulfoxide is within the non-toxic range. At that time, 160 medical institutions including Peking Union Medical College Hospital conducted clinical trials, and a special clinic was set up in Benxi, accumulating a large amount of data. Practice has proven that dimethyl sulfoxide is effective for neurodermatitis, psoriasis, arthritis, bursitis, folliculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, otitis media, rhinitis, adnexitis, toothache, herpes zoster, hemorrhoids, sprains, lumbar muscle strain, burns, and trauma. Currently, dimethyl sulfoxide is widely used in the production of external medicines such as Guyouling, foot odor medicines, and fluocinolone acetonide ointments, as well as in external preparations in major hospitals. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine extraction preparations and in the treatment of animal parasitic diseases.

In addition to its wide range of uses, various drugs dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide can penetrate the body when applied to the skin, without the need for oral administration or injection, opening up a new route of drug administration. More importantly, it increases the local drug concentration in the affected area and reduces the harm of drugs to other parts of the body.

Foreign studies suggest that cancer cells have a keratin protective membrane that hinders drug entry, and dimethyl sulfoxide's ability to dissolve and penetrate keratin can thus improve drug efficacy. The Beijing Institute of Materia Medica conducted experiments with good results, significantly inhibiting tumor growth.

In addition to the above main uses, dimethyl sulfoxide is also used as an organic solvent, reaction medium, and organic synthesis intermediate in fields such as the electronics industry, pesticides and fertilizers, dyes and coatings, gas separation, synthetic resins, and hydrometallurgy of rare metals. It can truly be called a "universal" product.

Source: China Petroleum and Chemical Industry News