Hydrophobe

Hydrophobe refers to a physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water. The term hydrophobe comes from the Ancient Greek ὕδωρ, meaning 'water', and φόβος, meaning 'fear'. In the context of chemistry, hydrophobicity is often used to refer to the segregation and apparent repulsion between water and nonpolar substances.

Overview

Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thus, prefer other neutral molecules and nonpolar solvents. Hydrophobic molecules in water often cluster together, forming micelles. Water on hydrophobic surfaces will exhibit a high contact angle.

Hydrophobic Effect

The hydrophobic effect is an essential principle of the cell membrane structure of organisms and the folding of proteins. It helps in the formation of micelles and vesicles, and it is the major driving force behind protein folding, protein-protein association, formation of lipid bilayers and other phenomena.

Hydrophobic Materials

Hydrophobic materials are used for oil removal from water, the management of oil spills, and chemical separation processes to remove non-polar substances from polar compounds. Hydrophobic materials also find use in building materials, textiles, and in the creation of self-cleaning applications.

Hydrophobic Interactions

Hydrophobic interactions describe the relations between water and hydrophobes (large nonpolar molecules or groups). These interactions are caused by the force of attraction by nonpolar molecules in the presence of water.

See Also

• Hydrophilic
• Amphiphilic
• Lipophobic
• Lipophilic
• Surfactant