Two-dimensional characterization of the effect of solute on H2O: A thermodynamic probing methodology

A thermodynamic methodology has been devised such that the effect of solute, non-electrolytes or individual ions, on the molecular organization of liquid H2O can be characterized by mutually orthogonal indices, hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity. This methodology is applicable only within limited H2O-rich regions depending on the identity of the solute. Within this dilute region, the effect of a given solute can be displayed in a two-dimensional map with H2O itself at the origin. We found as a result that there are five distinct classes of the effects of a solute on H2O. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.