# What is the density of sodium trimethylsilylpropanesulfonate (DSS)?

I tried to look for the density of sodium trimethylsilylpropanesulfonate (DSS) online but could not find anything. Perhaps someone here measured it/knows where it may be found?

• Did you read the Wiki entry carefully? It says it is a white solid. – M. Farooq Jul 10 '20 at 18:22
• Don't solid materials have a density? – Don_S Jul 10 '20 at 18:46
• Yes, solids do have densities, but there are plenty of types of "densities" for solids, e.g. bulk density, single crystal density, packing density etc. – M. Farooq Jul 10 '20 at 20:55

The reported crystallographic density for sodium 3-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propane-sulfonic acid monohydrate is $$\pu{1.32 g cm^-3}$$ [1].
The title compound which is used as reference for some NMR spectra in $$\ce{D2O},$$ was obtained casualy during an attempt to crystallize a cephalosporin of a serie we are interesting for […]. The X-ray analysis was undertaken because the expected cephalosporin and the two independent molecules of the title compound which were in fact present in the unit cell have nearly identical molecular weights.
The compound crystallizes from water in the triclinic space group $$P\bar{1}$$ with unit cell dimensions $$a = 5.914(3),$$ $$b = 10.816(7),$$ $$c = \pu{18.869(9) Å},$$ $$α = 97.96(5),$$ $$β = 95.46(4),$$ $$γ = 89.76(5)^\circ,$$ $$V = \pu{1190(1) Å^3}.$$ The calculated density is $$\pu{1.32 Mg m^-3}$$ for $$Z = 4.$$
1. Tinant, B.; Coene, B.; Declercq, J. P.; Germain, G.; Meerssche, M. van. X-Ray Crystal Structure of 3-(Trimethylsilyl)-1-Propane Sulfonic Acid Sodium Salt Hydrate $$\ce{C6H15O3SSi^-Na^+ · H2O}.$$ Bulletin des Sociétés Chimiques Belges 1982, 91 (1), 95–96. DOI: 10.1002/bscb.19820910116.