Use of Water as a Green Solvent in Chemical Reactions

Abstract

A growing interest in water as a green solvent has been generated by the search to find a sustainable and environmentally friendly process of chemical. However, unlike the traditional organic solvents, water is not toxic, flammable, inexpensive, and it is in large quantities. This paper discusses the application of water as a solvent in different chemical reactions paying attention to its effects in increasing the reaction rates, selectivity, and minimizing environmental effects. In the study, the mechanistic nature of aqueous-phase reactions is also studied and the performance of water is compared to the traditional solvents. Findings have shown that water is a safer substitute besides having the ability to provide specific reaction pathways thanks to hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding as well as solubility dynamics. This paper points at the potential of water towards pursuing green chemistry activities and sustainability in industry