Stepwise-Resolved Thermodynamics of Hydrophobic Self-Assembly

摘要

Hydrophobic effects refer to energetically favorable associations of nonpolar molecules in water These effects are responsible for numerous processes in chemistry and biology, including micelle and lipid-bilayer formation protein folding assembly and aggregation substrate binding and host/guest encapsulation In general, the energetic phenomena responsible for hydrophobic assembly include changes in entropy and enthalpy associated with hydrophobic solvation the release of water from nanoscale hydrophobic domains and van der Waals interactions between nonpolar components in compactly organized structures.