Here’s a way to understand aqueous and non-aqueous solvent systems:
1. Aqueous solvent systems
- Definition: Water is the main solvent.
- Characteristics: Good at dissolving ionic and polar compounds because water is highly polar and has a high dielectric constant.
- Examples:
- Salt solutions: Sodium chloride in water
- Sugar solutions: Sucrose in water
- Acid solutions: Hydrochloric acid in water
- Base solutions: Sodium hydroxide in water
2. Non-aqueous solvent systems
- Definition: Solvents other than water are used.
- Characteristics: Can dissolve non-polar or weakly polar substances, or substances that react with water.
- Examples:
- Organic solvents: Ethanol, acetone, benzene, chloroform
- Liquid ammonia: Used to dissolve alkali metals
- Liquid sulfur dioxide or liquid hydrogen fluoride: Used for special reactions
In short:
- Aqueous systems: Water is the solvent → good for salts, acids, bases.
- Non-aqueous systems: Other solvents → good for non-polar substances or water-sensitive compounds.