Techniques with non-aqueous solvents

Since many non-aqueous solvents are reactive, corrosive, toxic or highly volatile or have a combination of these undesirable properties, the experimental difficulties may be considerable. The reactivity of the solvents may require the exclusion of oxygen or carbon dioxide and most likely that of water. Since it is extremely difficult and frequently impossible to remove the last traces of water or to prevent its admission in trace quantities, the terms non aqueous and anhydrous should be understood in the sense of extremely low water content.  

Each solvent will therefore require special techniques in purification and handling and reference can be made to the excellent presentation by Popov.  

According to their different chemical properties solvents may be divided into donor solvents and acceptor solvents. 

A donor solvent (D) will in general react with acceptor molecules and acceptor ions  

Since most metal ions are electron pair acceptors interaction will take place between metal ions and donor solvent molecules leading to solvated metal cations. 

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