Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been known for almost 150 years, but its properties as a solvent and reaction medium are far from being understood. In particular, association equilibriums in liquid DMSO have been characterized in just four papers, and the enthalpy of its self-association is unknown. The aims of this paper are to study self-association equilibriums in neat liquid DMSO at various temperatures by means of Raman spectroscopy, to find the enthalpy of self-association, and to solve the problem of hydrogen bonding in this liquid. Time correlation functions of vibrational dephasing and reorientation of coexisting monomers and dimers studied by the C-S-C and C-H symmetric vibrations indicate that external perturbations and vibrational and reorientational dynamics of these particles occur on different time scales. No signatures of H-bonding in DMSO are found. The association constants vary from 0.20 L mol(-1) (23 °C) to 0.081 L mol(-1) (100 °C). Their temperature dependence gives the enthalpy of association of DMSO as -11.7 ± 0.9 kJ mol(-1).

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Our recent Raman studies of cation and anion solvation and ion pairing in solutions of lithium salts in dimethyl sulfoxide, propylene carbonate, and dimethyl carbonate are briefly overviewed. Special attention is paid to differences in our and existing data and concepts. As follows from our results, cation solvation numbers in solutions are low (~2) and disagree with previous measurements. This discrepancy is shown to arise from correct accounting for dimerization, hydrogen bonding, and conformation equilibria in the solvents disregarded in early studies. Another disputable question touches upon the absence of free ions in solutions of lithium salts in carbonate solvents and the statement that the charge transfer in carbonate solutions is caused by SSIPs. Direct proofs of the nature of charge carriers in the solvents studied have been obtained by means of analyses of vibrational dynamics. It has been found that collision times for free anions are short and evidence weak interactions between anions and solvent molecules. In SSIPs, collision times are an order of magnitude longer thus signifying strong interactions between anions and cations. In CIPs, collision times become shorter than in SSIPs reflecting the transformation of the structure of concentrated solutions to that of molten salts.