Solvents play a crucial role in catalytic reactions by influencing the solubility of reactants, products, and the catalyst itself. Polar solvents can stabilize charged intermediates and transition states, while non-polar solvents may be better for reactions involving non-polar compounds. For enzymatic catalysis, water is often the solvent of choice due to the aqueous nature of biological systems. However, organic solvents can be employed in non-aqueous enzymatic reactions to enhance substrate solubility and reaction rates.
