Dimethylzinc, also known as zinc methyl, DMZ, or DMZn, is a toxic organozinc compound with the chemical formula Zn(CH3)2.

It is formed by the action of methyl iodide on zinc or zinc-sodium alloy at elevated temperatures.

Dimethylzinc is a colorless mobile volatile liquid, which has a characteristic disagreeable garlic-like odor.

If not removed by thorough flushing with water, this chemical may permanently damage the cornea, eventually causing blindness.

Nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea may follow, and tissues may ulcerate if not promptly treated.

[4] Dimethylzinc was first prepared by Edward Frankland during his work with Robert Bunsen in 1849 at the University of Marburg.

After heating a mixture of zinc and methyl iodide in an airtight vessel, a flame burst out when the seal was broken.

[6] Its high vapor pressure has led to extensive uses in the production of semiconductors, e.g. metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for the preparation of wide band gap II–VI semiconducting films (e.g. ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdxHg1−xTe) and as p-dopant precursors for III–V semiconductors (e.g. AlN, AlP, AlxGa1−xAs, GaAs, InP), which have many electronic and photonic applications.