Organicsolvent

An organicsolvent, or organic solvent, is a volatile organic liquid used to dissolve or suspend other materials. They enable chemical reactions, extraction, purification, and cleaning. Their effectiveness depends on polarity, protic versus aprotic character, boiling point, and miscibility with solutes and with water.

Solvents are broadly categorized as nonpolar (alkanes and aromatics like hexane, toluene), moderately polar (ethers and esters like diethyl ether, ethyl acetate), polar aprotic (acetone, acetonitrile, DMSO, DMF), and polar protic (alcohols such as methanol, ethanol).

Common organicsolvents include acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, dichloromethane, chloroform, toluene, xylene, hexane, diethyl ether, THF, DMF, DMSO.

Used in laboratories and industry for extraction, chromatography, reaction media, coatings, and degreasing. In chemistry labs, solvents are often dried with desiccants or stored under inert atmosphere to reduce moisture or reactive impurities.

Many organicsolvents are toxic, irritants, or carcinogenic; most are flammable and contribute to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Handling requires ventilation, away-from-heat sources, proper storage, PPE. Disposal follows local hazardous-waste regulations.

Greener alternatives are pursued, including waterborne or water-rich systems, supercritical CO2, bio-based solvents, and ionic liquids, as well as solvent recycling and closed systems.