Why are dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone such good solvents?

We have carried out B3PW91 and MP2-FC computational studies of dimethyl sulfoxide, (CH(3))(2)SO, and dimethyl sulfone, (CH(3))(2)SO(2). The objective was to establish quantitatively the basis for their high polarities and boiling points, and their strong solvent powers for a variety of solutes. Natural bond order analyses show that the sulfur-oxygen linkages are not double bonds, as widely believed, but rather are coordinate covalent single...