What role does a solvent play in organic chemical reactions?

In organic chemical reactions, the solvent serves a crucial role by dissolving the reactants, which facilitates their interaction. When reactants are dissolved in a solvent, they become more mobile and can more easily collide and interact with one another. This increased interaction often leads to a higher reaction rate, as the molecules are better able to come together to form products.

The choice regarding the solvent providing energy for the reaction is misleading because while temperature can affect reaction rates, the solvent itself does not directly supply energy in the way that a heat source would. Similarly, although some solvents can influence the reaction mechanism or speed, they do not act as catalysts unless they are specifically designed to do so, which is not the general case for solvents. Finally, introducing a third reactant is not a function of a solvent; a solvent's primary role is to create an environment for the existing reactants to interact, not to contribute additional reactants to the reaction mixture.