S-oxide

In chemical nomenclature, an S-oxide (or sulfoxide) refers to a chemical compound containing a sulfinyl functional group. This functional group consists of a sulfur atom bonded to one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms (or hydrogen atoms in the case of sulfinic acids). The general formula for a sulfoxide is R-S(=O)-R', where R and R' are organic groups. The sulfur atom in a sulfoxide is pyramidal in shape and possesses a lone pair of electrons, making it a chiral center when R and R' are different. Sulfoxides are polar compounds due to the polar S=O bond. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a common example of a sulfoxide and is widely used as a solvent.