Green Organic Reactions in Superheated Water

This chapter shows a familiar Lewis structure of water, which depicts the oxygen lone electron pairs. These are responsible for the ability of water to act as a hydrogen acceptor. The chapter discusses the special properties of superheated water. It provides the innovative aspects of using superheated water as a green medium for performing organic reactions. The near-critical water (NCW) value for the dielectric constant corresponds most closely to a moderately polar solvent, such as acetone. This enables enhanced solubility of nonpolar organic species in NCW. The green innovations as related to the use of superheated water are described in the recommended references. The innovative factor for the use of superheated water in green chemistry is also the use of an inherently nongreen system for green applications, in a way to achieve an overall positive green effect.