Hydrophobe



    In molecule (known as a hydrophobe) that is repelled from a mass of water [1].

Hydrophobic molecules tend to be contact angle.

Examples of hydrophobic molecules include the alkanes, oils, fats, and greasy substances in general. Hydrophobic materials are used for oil removal from water, the management of oil spills, and chemical separation processes to remove non-polar from polar compounds.

Hydrophobic is often used interchangeably with "silicones, for instance.

Chemical background

According to hydrogen bonds internally, which gives it many of its unique physical properties. But, since hydrophobes are not electrically polarized, and because they are unable to form hydrogen bonds, water repels hydrophobes, in favour of bonding with itself. It is this effect that causes the hydrophobic interaction — which in itself is incorrectly named as the energetic force comes from the hydrophilic molecules.[2] Thus the two immiscible phases (hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic) will change so that their corresponding interfacial area will be minimal. This effect can be visualized in the phenomenon called phase separation.

Superhydrophobicity

  Superhydrophobic materials have surfaces that are extremely difficult to wet with water electron-hole pairs, with the holes reacting with lattice oxygen creating surface oxygen vacancies while the electrons reduce V5+ to V3+. The oxygen vacancies are met by water and this water absorbency by the vanadium surface makes it hydrophilic. By extended storage in the dark, water is replaced by oxygen and hydrophilicity is once again lost.

See also

References

  1. ^ Aryeh Ben-Na'im Hydrophobic Interaction Plenum Press, New York (ISBN 0-306-40222-X)
  2. ^ Goss, K. U. and R. P. Schwarzenbach (2003): "Rules of Thumb for Assessing Equilibrium Partitioning of Organic Compounds: Successes and Pitfalls." JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION 80(4): 450-455. Link to abstract
  3. ^ UV-Driven Reversible Switching of a Roselike Vanadium Oxide Film between Superhydrophobicity and SuperhydrophilicityHo Sun Lim, Donghoon Kwak, Dong Yun Lee, Seung Goo Lee, and Kilwon Cho J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 2007; 129(14) pp 4128 - 4129; (Communication) doi:10.1021/ja0692579


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