DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide)
History
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was first synthesized in 1866 by the Russian scientist Dr. Alexander Saytzeff, who reported his findings in a German chemistry journal in 1867. From there DMSO languished unnoticed in obscurity for 81 years! After World War II, chemists began to take note of the remarkable versatility of DMSO. DMSO is basically a solvent made from the sap of trees (woodpulp). They noticed it could dissolve almost anything and carry it in solution.
In the 1960s, medical research with DMSO showed it could not only dissolve substances, but it could also penetrate human skin and carry the dissolved substances along with it! This is remarkable, because human skin is impenetrable to most substances.
Pure DMSO freezes at room temperature (picture)
