Water: Nature's Reaction Enforcer-Comparative Effects for Organic Synthesis "In-Water" and "On-Water"

Researchers have demonstrated the comparative effects of water, which they believed is nature's reaction enforcer, for organic synthesis carried out in or on water. It was demonstrated that water was the solvent used by nature for biological chemistry. The researchers also demonstrated that successful reactions in water required the presence of buffers or catalysts and potential ungreen characteristics of reactions in water. It was demonstrated that water was highly polar solvent with a Reichardt ET(30) of 61.3, leading to acceleration of reactions with transition states more polar than initial states in water and slowed when the transition states were less polar than initial states. Organic liquids that remained separated from water in a clear organic phase were ideal reactants for such synthesis, but solids were used provided one reactant partner was a liquid and adequate mixing was ensured.