Polar Solvents

Non Polar Solvents

Polar Protic

Polar Aprotic

have a large dipole

Contains bond b/w atoms Have O-H or N-H bonds.

May have H on them

moment. They contain

with similar electro

Because of which protic

somewhere but lack O-H

bonds b/w atoms with

negativities such as

solvents can participate in or N-H bonds and

very diff.

carbon and hydrogen.

hydrogen bonding which is

therefore cant hydrogen

electronegativity such as

Bonds b/w atoms with

a powerful intermolecular

bond with themselves.

oxygen and hydrogen.

similar electro negativity

force. Additionally these

Will lack partial charges

O-H or N-H bonds can

which make these non-

serve as proton donors

polar.

(H+).

EX:-

EX:-

EX:Polar protic and polar

Aprotic come under this
category.

EX:-

Borderline Polar Aprotic Solvents

These solvents have moderately high dielectric constant then the non polar solvents (b/w 5 to 20) since they
have intermediate polarity they are good general purpose Solvents for a wide range of reactions. They are
aprotic because they lack O-H and N-H bond. For our purposes they dont participate in reactions. They can
serve as medium.
EX:-