Dimethyl sulfite

CLEAR COLORLESS TO PALE YELLOW LIQUID

The conformations and vibrational spectra of dimethyl sulfite was studied by matrix-isolation fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and to study its conformational selective aggregation. It may be used in organic synthesis.

ChEBI: Dimethyl sulfite is a sulfite ester.

Dimethyl sulfite is prepared from a 1:2 ratio of thionyl chloride and methanol. The reaction can be catalyzed by tertiary amine bases and likely proceeds via the chlorosulfinate (MeOS(O)Cl), this intermediate will exist only fleetingly in the presence of methanol and as such its decomposition to methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide (via the slower SNi mechanism) is not observed to any great extent.
SOCl2 + 2 CH3OH → (CH3O)2SO + 2 HCl

The conformations and vibrational spectra of dimethyl sulfite was studied by matrix-isolation fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and to study its conformational selective aggregation.
Dimethyl sulfite may be used in organic synthesis. It is used as an additive in some polymers to prevent oxidation. It is also a potentially useful high energy battery electrolyte solvent.

Dimethyl sulfite is an insect repellent and also experimentally identified as a mutagenic agent.