Dimethyl Sulfate

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Dimethyl Sulfate has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Morbid | Podcast (Sep 2025). Proposed as the compound responsible for staff symptoms; discussed as highly toxic and associated with chemical warfare/nerve agents.

Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) is a chemical compound with formula (CH3O)2SO2. As the diester of methanol and sulfuric acid, its formula is often written as (CH3)2SO4 or Me2SO4, where CH3 or Me is methyl. Me2SO4 is mainly used as a methylating agent in organic synthesis. Me2SO4 is a colourless oily liquid with a slight onion-like odour. Like all strong alkylating agents, Me2SO4 is highly toxic. Its use as a laboratory reagent has been superseded to some extent by methyl triflate, CF3SO3CH3, the methyl e