Dimethyl sulfite is used as an additive in some polymers to prevent oxidation.

[2] It is also a potentially useful high energy battery electrolyte solvent.

[3] The dimethyl sulfite molecule can adopt several conformations.

Dimethyl sulfite is prepared from a 1:2 ratio of thionyl chloride and methanol.

[4] The reaction can be catalyzed by tertiary amine bases and likely proceeds via the chlorosulfinate (MeOS(O)Cl),[5] this intermediate will exist only fleetingly in the presence of methanol and as such its decomposition to methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide (via the slower SNi mechanism) is not observed to any great extent.