Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) are among the many organic compounds that may be synthesized with Dimethyl Sulfoxide. The excellent solvent power of this aprotic compound is responsible for its reputation as a ‘Super Solvent’. When used as a reaction solvent, DMSO improves selectivity and yield, in many types of chemical reactions. DMSO also provides the flexibility to run reactions at high temperature. DMSO is a useful polymer solvent, which has ramifications in pharmaceutical science.

As a reagent, DMSO is used to provide specificity in oxidation as part of the Swern reaction. DMSO can be used to form the dimsyl ion, which is a strong base useful in alkylation, nucleophilic displacement and condensation reactions. Many Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) are initially synthesized in DMSO due these properties.

Pharmaceutical API / Intermediate Synthesis

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) DMS has applications in API synthesis as a reagent in reactions such as epoxidation and hydroboration-oxidation.

Related Resources

Synthesis Corner: An in depth review of synthesis applications can be found in Synthesis Corner

DMSO PharmaSolvent: The high purity of this product make it solvent of choice for the synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, and intermediates

DMS page: Learn more about applications for Dimethyl Sulfide

ICH Guideline Bulletin: DMSO is in category 3, the least hazardous solvents list. This document pertains to acceptable limits on solvents in pharmaceutical products.

Dimsyl Ion Bulletin: About the useful chemistry of dimsyl sodium.