Related Experiment Videos
Organic chemistry in water
1Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Chemical Society Reviews
|December 21, 2005
Summary
Water is a green solvent revolutionizing organic chemistry. It enables novel reactions and applications in synthesizing biomolecules and modifying them.
Area of Science:
- Green chemistry
- Organic synthesis
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Water is an inexpensive, environmentally friendly solvent.
- Water offers unique reactivity for organic reactions.
- Aqueous organic reactions are increasingly important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the scope of organic reactions in water.
- To highlight the applications of aqueous organic reactions.
- To provide a tutorial on water as a solvent.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of various reaction types in water: pericyclic, carbanion/carbocation equivalents, radicals/carbenes, transition-metal catalysis, redox reactions.
- Exploration of applications in synthesizing biological compounds (e.g., carbohydrates) and modifying biomolecules.
Main Results:
- Water facilitates a wide array of organic transformations.
- Novel reactivity is observed when using water as a solvent.
- Aqueous reactions are applicable to complex molecule synthesis.
Conclusions:
- Water is a powerful and versatile solvent for modern organic chemistry.
- The use of water promotes sustainable and efficient chemical synthesis.
- Further exploration of water-based reactions will expand synthetic capabilities.