4. Conclusion and outlook

The work of numerous teams has demonstrated that water is the solvent of choice for most organic synthesis reactions. In many cases, particular selectivities can be achieved in this medium, and the effects on reaction thermodynamics mean that reactions can be carried out at lower temperatures, thus saving energy. Such reactions are obviously much simpler to implement in the laboratory than those requiring anhydrous conditions. Green chemistry includes biotransformations. Thanks to the development of biotechnologies enabling the production of stable enzymes with varied activities, these catalysts are commercially available and are an important tool for chemistry in aqueous media.

Remarkable advances in transition metal catalysis have made it possible to develop industrial processes in which the aqueous phase is totally recycled, generating fewer by-products....