Open AccessInterfacial free energy and the hydrophobic effect
Author(s) -
Charles Tanford
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.76.9.4175
Subject(s) - antipathy , surface tension , hydrocarbon , surface energy , curvature , chemical physics , contact angle , molecule , chemistry , solvophobic , free water , surface (topology) , materials science , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , geology , physics , geometry , politics , political science , law , mathematics , geotechnical engineering
Interfacial free energies demonstrate clearly that the antipathy between hydrocarbon and water rests on the strong attraction of water for itself. However, the unfavorable free energy associated with this antipathy, per unit area of contact between bulk hydrocarbon and water, is about 3-fold larger than a similar figure derived from solubility data per unit area of contact between a single dissolved hydrocarbon molecule and water. The discrepancy illustrates the difficulty in applying macroscopic concepts such as “interfacial surface” at the molecular level and can be formally resolved, at least qualitatively, by the predicted effect of surface curvature on surface tension.