ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: Fast reactions 'on water'

Klijn, Jaap E.
Engberts, Jan B. F. N.

Jaap E. Klijn and Jan B. F. N. Engberts are in the Physical Organic Chemistry Unit, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands. e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Nature 435(7043):p 746-747, June 9, 2005.

Efficient reactions in aqueous organic chemistry do not require soluble reactants, as had been thought. A newly developed 'on-water' protocol is characterized by short reaction times, and the products are easy to isolate.