title: Molecular-scale hydrophobic interactions between hard-sphere reference solutes are attractive and endothermic.
abstract: The osmotic second virial coefficients, B2, for atomic-sized hard spheres in water are attractive (B2 < 0) and become more attractive with increasing temperature (ΔB2/ΔT < 0) in the temperature range 300 K ≤ T ≤ 360 K. Thus, these hydrophobic interactions are attractive and endothermic at moderate temperatures. Hydrophobic interactions between atomic-sized hard spheres in water are more attractive than predicted by the available statistical mechanical theory. These results constitute an initial step toward detailed molecular theory of additional intermolecular interaction features, specifically, attractive interactions associated with hydrophobic solutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.
authors.forename: Mangesh I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.forename: Sinead A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Holleran
authors.forename: Henry S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ashbaugh
authors.forename: Lawrence R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Pratt
mesh_terms: D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins
keywords: Pratt-Chandler theory; protein folding; self-assembly