Hydrophobic

Hydrophobic refers to the physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water. In the context of biology, hydrophobic molecules are often nonpolar, meaning they don't mix well with polar molecules like water (H2O).

Overview

Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thus, prefer other neutral molecules and nonpolar solvents. Because water (H2O) is polar, hydrophobes do not dissolve well among water molecules. Hydrophobic molecules in water often cluster together, forming micelles. Water on hydrophobic surfaces will exhibit a high contact angle.

Examples

Examples of hydrophobic molecules include the alkanes, oils, fats, and greasy substances. 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 Effect

The hydrophobic effect is the observed tendency of nonpolar substances to aggregate in an aqueous solution and exclude water molecules. The word hydrophobic literally means "water-fearing," and it describes the segregation and apparent repulsion between water and nonpolar substances.

Hydrophobic Interactions

Hydrophobic interactions describe the relations between water and hydrophobes (nonpolar molecules). These interactions are thought to drive the folding of proteins, the formation of lipid bilayers, and other phenomena such as the immersion of nonpolar substances like oil in water.

See Also

• Hydrophilic
• Amphiphilic
• Lipophilic
• Hydrophobicity scales
• Superhydrophobe

Hydrophobic Resources
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