What does disulphide mean?
Disulphide is a noun used almost exclusively in scientific contexts to describe a compound containing two sulphur atoms, most notably one in which those atoms are joined directly by a sulphur–sulphur bond. Such linkages are chemically significant because they are relatively strong yet reversible: in biochemistry, disulphide bonds form between cysteine residues and help proteins fold into and hold their correct three-dimensional shapes. Familiar compounds include carbon disulphide, a volatile liquid historically important as a solvent and in rubber manufacture. The word carries no emotional connotation; its value lies in precision, allowing chemists to specify exactly how many sulphur atoms are present and how they are arranged. It contrasts with related terms such as monosulphide (one sulphur) and polysulphide (several). Writers should note that British English spells the word "disulphide", while American English — now dominant in scientific publishing — uses "disulfide".
nounA chemical compound containing two atoms of sulphur in its molecule or functional group, especially one in which two sulphur atoms are bonded to each other (an –S–S– linkage). The term is chiefly used in chemistry and biochemistry.
- Any chemical compound containing two sulphur atoms, especially one featuring a direct sulphur–sulphur (–S–S–) bond linking two organic groups.
- Specifically, carbon disulphide (CS₂) when referred to historically in industrial contexts such as vulcanising rubber or as a solvent.
"The protein's shape is held together by strong disulphide bridges between cysteine residues."
"Insulin's structure depends on disulphide bonds that hold its two peptide chains together."
"Carbon disulphide was once widely used to dissolve rubber during the vulcanisation process."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple such compounds or multiple individual bonds within molecules.
"Reducing agents can cleave the disulphides that stabilise keratin fibres."
Every time your hair holds a curl or an egg white sets firm in the pan, you're watching chemistry break and rebuild disulphide bonds — the tiny S-shaped links that give proteins their strength.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disulphide
Disulphide derives from the Latin noun "sulphur" (also spelled "sulfur"), meaning brimstone, combined with the prefix "di-", from Greek "dis" meaning twice. The element name entered English via Old French in the medieval period, and systematic chemical nomenclature built compounds on this root from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries onward, giving rise to terms such as sulphate, sulphite, and sulphide. The prefix "di-" marks the presence of two sulphur atoms, distinguishing disulphides from mono-, poly-, and hydrosulphides. The spelling with "ph" reflects the traditional British rendering of the Latin; American usage simplified it to "f" in both "sulfur" and its derivatives.
How disulphide is actually used
Chiefly technical, appearing in chemistry, biochemistry, and industrial writing. In British English it is spelled "disulphide", following the British spelling of "sulphur"; American English uses "disulfide" throughout, including in most international scientific journals, which have largely adopted the American spelling.
Easily confused with disulphide
"Disulfide" is simply the standard American spelling of the same word, while "disulphide" is the British spelling.
A polysulphide contains chains of three or more sulphur atoms, whereas a disulphide contains exactly two.
A monosulphide contains only one sulphur atom per molecule, unlike a disulphide's two.