Sulfoxide facts for kids
A sulfoxide is a special kind of molecule that has a sulfur atom connected to two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. Think of it like a sulfur atom holding hands with two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom.
Sulfoxides are made when you gently oxidize (which means adding oxygen to) another type of molecule called a thioether. It's like taking a step, but not going all the way to the next level, which would be a sulfone. Just like some other molecules that contain sulfur, sulfoxides can sometimes have a strong smell.
Contents
How Sulfoxides Are Built
The way a sulfoxide molecule is put together is quite interesting. We can write its general formula as R–S(=O)–R'. Here, 'R' and 'R stand for different parts of the molecule, usually groups of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
The sulfur atom in a sulfoxide forms a double bond with the oxygen atom. It also forms single bonds with the two carbon atoms. What's left on the sulfur atom is something called a lone pair of electrons. This lone pair is like an extra pair of hands that aren't holding onto any other atoms.
The Shape of a Sulfoxide
Because of these bonds and the lone pair, the sulfur atom in a sulfoxide has a specific shape around it. It's shaped like a tetrahedron, which is like a pyramid with four faces.
This unique arrangement also means that the sulfur atom can be a chiral centre. A chiral centre is like a special point in a molecule where its mirror image cannot be perfectly placed on top of it. Think of your left and right hands – they are mirror images but you can't perfectly stack one on top of the other.
Uses of Sulfoxides
Sulfoxides are very useful in chemistry. They are often used as good ligands. A ligand is a molecule or ion that can attach to a central metal atom, especially in transition metals. This ability makes them important in creating new chemical compounds.
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)
One of the most important and well-known sulfoxide molecules is called dimethyl sulfoxide. You might hear it called DMSO for short.
DMSO is widely used as a solvent. A solvent is a liquid that can dissolve other substances. DMSO is especially good at dissolving many different things, which makes it very helpful in chemical reactions. It's also used a lot in biochemistry, which is the study of chemical processes happening inside living things.
