reaktsioonilahusti

A reaction solvent is a substance in which a chemical reaction takes place. It serves to dissolve the reactants, bringing them into intimate contact, and to facilitate the reaction by providing a medium for heat transfer and stabilizing intermediates or transition states. The choice of reaction solvent is critical and depends on a variety of factors including the solubility of reactants and products, the desired reaction temperature, the polarity of the molecules involved, and potential reactivity of the solvent itself.

Solvents are broadly categorized by their polarity, with polar solvents like water and alcohols capable of dissolving ionic compounds and polar organic molecules, while nonpolar solvents such as hexane and toluene are better suited for nonpolar substances. Protic solvents, which contain hydrogen atoms bonded to electronegative atoms like oxygen or nitrogen, can participate in hydrogen bonding and proton transfer, influencing reaction mechanisms. Aprotic solvents, lacking such labile hydrogens, do not readily donate protons.

The solvent can significantly impact the rate and selectivity of a reaction. For instance, polar protic solvents can stabilize charged intermediates, while polar aprotic solvents can accelerate reactions involving nucleophilic attack by solvating cations but not anions. In some cases, the solvent can even be a reactant or a catalyst. After the reaction, the solvent is typically removed by evaporation or distillation, or the desired product is separated from it through other methods like extraction or crystallization.