Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is widely used as a solvent in the life sciences, however, it is somewhat toxic and affects cell behaviours in a range of ways. Here, we propose a zwitterionic liquid (ZIL), a zwitterion-type ionic liquid containing histidine-like module, as a new alternative to DMSO. ZIL is not cell permeable, less toxic to cells and tissues, and has great potential as a vehicle for various hydrophobic drugs. Notably, ZIL can serve as a solvent for stock solutions of platinating agents, whose anticancer effects are completely abolished by dissolution in DMSO. Furthermore, ZIL possesses suitable affinity to the plasma membrane and acts as a cryoprotectant. Our results suggest that ZIL is a potent, multifunctional and biocompatible solvent that compensates for many shortcomings of DMSO.

二甲基亚砜 (DMSO) 在生命科学中被广泛用作溶剂，但它具有一定的毒性，会以多种方式影响细胞行为。在这里，我们提出了一种两性离子液体 (ZIL)，一种含有类组氨酸模块的两性离子型离子液体，作为 DMSO 的新替代品。ZIL 不具有细胞渗透性，对细胞和组织的毒性较小，并且具有作为各种疏水性药物载体的巨大潜力。值得注意的是，ZIL 可以用作铂剂原液的溶剂，其抗癌作用在 DMSO 中溶解后会完全消失。此外，ZIL 对质膜具有合适的亲和力，可作为冷冻保护剂。我们的结果表明，ZIL 是一种有效、多功能且具有生物相容性的溶剂，可以弥补 DMSO 的许多缺点。