Catalysis in Non-conventional Reaction Media

At the dawn of the XXI century the chemists community is facing now a main challenge, that of pursuing “practical elegance”, that means conjugating efficiency to sustainability. Thus, the synthesis of a molecule is no more the unique goal, but the way we produce it must be environmentally compatible, or, as Noyori writes, “must fall within the boundary conditions of our planet: it must be safe, environmentally benign, and reasonable in terms of cost, resources, and energy. Without attention to what is now called green chemistry, chemical manufacturing will be unsustainable in this century.” In this chapter the main efforts directed to the development of new catalytic processes occurring in non conventional reaction media will be examined and discussed.