Thermodynamics of the hydrophobic effect

A thermodynamic theory is developed describing the transfer process of nonp olar substances from water to their pure state and the micellization proces s. The basis of the theory is the consideration, experimentally supported, that to a first-order approximation the change in the standard molar entrop y (DeltaS(o)) can be consider proportional to the standard molar heat capac ity (DeltaC(p)(o)) with proportionality constant, r, independent of the tem perature and the pressure. In general it is found that the value of the mag nitude of r decreases with the size of the solute molecule until a limiting value. This level of approximation is sufficient to predict observations s uch as Linear plots between T DeltaS degrees and DeltaH degrees, reduced be havior for surfactants with the temperature, and an important part of accep ted phenomenology in the literature about the hydrophobic effect.