dialkyl sulfite

chemical compound

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June 25, 2026

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Dialkyl sulfites are organic compounds derived from sulfurous acid. They are formed when alcohols react with thionyl chloride. For example, dimethyl sulfite can be produced by reacting methanol with thionyl chloride. These compounds, along with cyclic sulfite esters, are valuable in organic synthesis.1

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organosulfur compound
Other sulfinyl and sulfonyl compounds
…of sulfurous acid known as dialkyl sulfites—dimethyl sulfite, MeOS(O)OMe, for example—can be made from alcohols and thionyl chloride: 2MeOH + Cl₂S=O → MeOS(=O)OMe. Cyclic sulfite esters, made in a similar manner from 1,2-diols (1,2-dialcohols), and their oxidation products, cyclic sulfate esters, find considerable use in organic synthesis.
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…of sulfurous acid known as dialkyl sulfites—dimethyl sulfite, MeOS(O)OMe, for example—can be made from alcohols and thionyl chloride: 2MeOH + Cl₂S=O → MeOS(=O)OMe. Cyclic sulfite esters, made in a similar manner from 1,2-diols (1,2-dialcohols), and their oxidation products, cyclic sulfate esters, find considerable use in organic synthesis.
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