Sodium trimethylsilylpropanesulfonate (DSS) is the

organosilicon compound Organosilicon compounds are organometallic compounds containing carbon–silicon bonds. Organosilicon chemistry is the corresponding science of their preparation and properties. Most organosilicon compounds are similar to the ordinary organic c ...

with the formula (CH₃)₃SiCH₂CH₂CH₂SO₃⁻Na⁺. It is the sodium salt of trimethylsilylpropanesulfonic acid. A white, water-soluble solid, it is used as a chemical shift standard for proton NMR spectroscopy of aqueous solutions. The chemical shift, specifically the signal for the

trimethylsilyl A trimethylsilyl group (abbreviated TMS) is a functional group in organic chemistry. This group consists of three methyl groups bonded to a silicon atom minus;Si(CH3)3 which is in turn bonded to the rest of a molecule. This structural group is ch ...

group, is relatively insensitive to pH. The proton spectrum of DSS also exhibits resonances at 2.91 ppm (m), 1.75 ppm (m), and 0.63 ppm (m) at an intensity of 22% of the reference resonance at 0 ppm.

Alternatives

Sodium trimethylsilyl propionate (TSP) is a related compound used as an NMR standard. It uses a carboxylic acid instead of the sulfonic acid found in DSS to confer water solubility. As a weak acid, TSP is more sensitive to changes in pH. 4,4-Dimethyl-4-silapentane-1-ammonium trifluoroacetate (DSA) has also been proposed as an alternative, to overcome certain drawbacks of DSS.

References

{{Reflist Sulfonic acids Trimethylsilyl compounds Organic sodium salts Nuclear magnetic resonance