a second English edition in 1988 with the now enlarged title Solvents and Solvent Eยคects in Organic Chemistry. A first and second reprint in 2004 and 2005 of the third, updated and enlarged English edition of this book, published in 2003, demonstrate the continuing common interest in the study of solvent eยคects on chemical reactions and physical processes. This and the progress that has been made in recent years in this field of research encouraged us to present now to the interested reader a fourth, again updated and enlarged, edition of this book. This was only possible because a junior author helped the meanwhile retired senior author with the preparation of the manuscript for this new edition, particularly in writing the new Chapter 8.
This new chapter deals with the relationship between solvents and green chemistry, the classification of solvents by their environmental impact, and the replacement of traditional by non-traditional solvents for chemical reactions.
During the seven years after publication of the third edition in 2003, the number of solvent-dependent processes studied has increased to such an extent (particularly in the field of ionic liquids) that only a careful selection of instructive and representative examples could be additionally included in this fourth edition. The literature has been covered up to 2009, partly up to 2010. New references have been added at the end of the reference list of each chapter.
Consistent use of the nomenclaturea), symbolsb), termsc) and SI unitsd) recommended by the respective IUPAC Commissions has again been made in this fourth edition.
For useful comments and valuable suggestions we thank many colleagues, in particular Prof.