Solventdrives

Solventdrives is a term used to describe the influence of solvent properties and solvent manipulation on chemical processes. The concept encompasses how solvents shape solubility, reaction rates, selectivity, and phase behavior, and how changing the solvent or solvent system can drive a process toward a desired outcome. In practice, solventdrives can be implemented through solvent screening, solvent mixtures with defined Hansen solubility parameters, solvent-switch crystallization, anti-solvent addition, and solvent gradient techniques.

Mechanisms center on solvation effects: dielectric constant, polarity, hydrogen-bond donating/accepting ability, and solvation energy differences between reactants and transition states. Solventdrives can also control mass-transfer rates, viscosity, and azeotropy in separations.

Applications include pharmaceutical crystallization and purification, liquid-liquid extraction, polymer processing, and electrochemical systems where solvent choice affects electrolyte compatibility and stability. In biocatalysis, biphasic or phase-transfer systems rely on solventdrives to optimize conversion and selectivity while protecting enzymes.

Advantages include tunability and enabling difficult separations; limitations include environmental impact, cost, toxicity, and the complexity of optimizing multiple variables. The term is not a formal discipline but a descriptive label used in chemical engineering and chemistry literature to highlight solvent effects as a driving factor.

See also: solvent effects, solvent polarity, Hansen solubility parameters, liquid-liquid extraction, crystallization, phase-transfer catalysis.