MOLECULE

Dimethylsulfone

Dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2), also known as sulfonylbismethane, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as sulfones. Sulfones are compounds containing a sulfonyl group, with the general structure RS(=O)2R' (R,R' =alkyl, aryl). It occurs naturally in some primitive plants and is present in small amounts in many foods and beverages and it is marketed as a dietary supplement. This colorless solid features a sulfonyl functional group and is considered relatively inert chemically. Dimethyl sulfone reflects its close chemical relationship to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which differs only in the oxidation state of the sulfur atom. Dimethyl sulfone is the primary metabolite of DMSO in humans, and it shares some of the properties of DMSO. Dimethyl sulfone is a metabolite occurring in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of normal humans. It derives from dietary sources, from intestinal bacterial metabolism and from human endogenous methanethiol metabolism (PMID: 15996001). It is sometimes used as a cutting agent for illicitly manufactured methamphetamine. Because of its polarity and thermal stability, Dimethyl sulfone is used industrially as a high-temperature solvent for both inorganic and organic substances. Dimethyl sulfone is also commonly found in the atmosphere above marine areas, where it is used as a carbon source by the airborne bacteria Afipia (PMID: 23359712). It has also been detected in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples obtained from police seizures (PMID: 26657499).