adjective
- (of a solvent) unable to donate a hydrogen ion or proton; neither acidic nor basic in the Brønsted sense.
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- Dimethyl sulfoxide is a common aprotic solvent used in organic chemistry.
- Aprotic solvents do not have an ionizable hydrogen atom bonded to oxygen or nitrogen.
- The reaction proceeds faster in an aprotic solvent than in water.
- Acetonitrile is an example of a polar aprotic solvent.
- Aprotic solvents are often preferred for reactions involving strong bases or nucleophiles.