Green chemistry is a vitally important subject area in a world where being as green and environmentally sound as possible is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Its applications include the design of chemical products and processes that help to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.

The Handbook of Green Chemistry comprises 12 volumes, split into subject-specific sets as follows:

Set I: Green Catalysis
Set II: Green Solvents

• Volume 4: Supercritical Solvents
• Volume 5: Reactions in Water
• Volume 6: Ionic Liquids

Set III: Green Processes
Set IV: Green Products

Water, an extremely abundant resource, could be used in manufacturing as it is both a “green” solvent (if used properly) and an inexpensive one. One major asset in using water as a solvent is that the hydrophobic effects can lead to suspensions of normally insoluble compounds that facilitate remarkable new chemistry not otherwise achievable. A wide range of classical chemical reactions, normally associated with organic solvents, are discussed within this book.