Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is widely used in pharmaceutical, biochemical, and high‑throughput screening workflows due to its strong solvating power. However, DMSO’s aggressive solvency can cause issues with plastics in certain conditions. This advisory clarifies how AQ™ Advanced Quality LC‑MS–compatible polypropylene (PP) vials behave when used with DMSO and outlines best practices for high‑confidence LC‑MS work.
1. Polypropylene Vial Compatibility with DMSO
DMSO is not considered chemically reactive toward polypropylene autosampler vials, including MICROSOLV's AQ™ Advanced Quality brand LC‑MS vials. Polypropylene is generally robust against DMSO exposure and does not undergo reactive degradation under typical laboratory conditions.
This makes PP a viable option for storing, diluting, or injecting DMSO‑containing solutions—especially when glass adsorption or glass‑derived surface interactions must be avoided.
2. The Extractables Consideration: When DMSO Becomes a Risk
Although DMSO is not chemically reactive with PP, it remains an aggressive organic solvent, and under certain conditions it can extract trace compounds from plastics. This may result in:
- Ghost peaks or unexpected background signals in HPLC or LC‑MS chromatograms
- Ion suppression or baseline distortion
- Sample contamination affecting sensitive quantitation
Factors influencing extractables include:
- Solvent concentration (neat DMSO vs. diluted mixtures)
- Temperature exposure
- Storage duration
- Additives or processing residues in lower‑grade plastics
Key technical insight: The more concentrated the DMSO, the greater its solvating strength and the higher the likelihood of leaching trace compounds from plastics. Neat or high‑percentage DMSO carries the highest risk.
3. Recommended Best Practices for DMSO Use in PP Vials
To minimize the risk of extractables and maintain LC‑MS data integrity, MICROSOLV recommends:
A. Pre‑testing the solvent–vial combination
Before loading valuable samples, test your DMSO solution under your method conditions to ensure no background peaks or extractable signatures appear. This is crucial for high‑sensitivity LC‑MS applications.
B. Prefer diluted DMSO where possible
Diluting DMSO with water (e.g., 50/50 DI water/DMSO) significantly reduces its ability to extract plastic residues.
C. Use LC‑MS–compatible MICROSOLV's AQ™ Vials for reduced extractables
MICROSOLV’s LC‑MS‑compatible polypropylene microvials are formulated to minimize extractables, making them better suited for use with DMSO than generic polypropylene plasticware.
LCMS Compatible MicroVial Ordering Information
4. Summary for Technical Users
- Yes, AQ™ Advanced Quality brand PP LC‑MS vials are compatible with DMSO.
- However, DMSO can extract trace residues from plastics under higher‑risk conditions such as neat concentration, warm temperatures, or long storage times.
- Testing your solvent/vial combination is strongly recommended prior to use in any analytical workflow.
- For LC‑MS applications, using MicroSolv LC‑MS‑compatible microvials offers the lowest extractables risk and the highest confidence in chromatographic cleanliness.
In short: Polypropylene is generally safe for DMSO, but solvent aggressiveness demands proper validation for high‑precision work.
