Non-Aqueous Solvents

Solvents other than water are used in chemical analysis, manufacturing and specialist syntheses. This book, written for undergraduate chemistry students, covers the necessary theory required to understand how to choose appropriate solvents for different applications. It includes details for the common solvents used in contemporary chemistry.

Solvents other than water are used in chemical analysis, chemical manufacturing, and in specialist syntheses. This book covers the principles and uses of non-aqueous solvents at a level suitable for first or second-year undergraduates. The book first discusses the general properties of solvents, and introduces the necessary concepts for making rational choices of solvents for different applications. There is a discussion of the various chemical interactions between solvents and the substances dissolved in them, and how solvents change the course of reactions. The chemistry of 16 common solvents is discussed, emphasising the advantages and disadvantages of each. The book concludes with an account of the chemistry of molten salts and discusses the use of low melting temperature compounds as synthetic media. The book expands on the brief treatment of non-aqueous solvents given in many textbooks, but avoids the complexities introduced in research treatises. There is no such book currently available to help students.