Hydrophilicity | chemistry | Britannica (original) (raw)
Learn about this topic in these articles:
alcohols
In alcohol: Physical properties of alcohols …is referred to as a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) group, because it forms hydrogen bonds with water and enhances the solubility of an alcohol in water. Methanol, ethanol, _n_-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and _t_-butyl alcohol are all miscible with water. Alcohols with higher molecular weights tend to be less water-soluble, because the… Read More
emulsifiers
In food additive: Processing agents …long-chain fatty acid, and a hydrophilic portion that may be either charged or uncharged. The hydrophobic portion of the emulsifier dissolves in the oil phase, and the hydrophilic portion dissolves in the aqueous phase, forming a dispersion of small oil droplets. Emulsifiers thus form and stabilize oil-in-water emulsions (e.g., mayonnaise),… Read More
lipids
In lipid …for water and are called hydrophilic (“water-loving”). Lipids, however, are hydrophobic (“water-fearing”). Some lipids are amphipathic—part of their structure is hydrophilic and another part, usually a larger section, is hydrophobic. Amphipathic lipids exhibit a unique behavior in water: they spontaneously form ordered molecular aggregates, with their hydrophilic ends on the… Read More
polarity
In polarity (lipid-loving), and polar chemicals are hydrophilic (water-loving). Lipid-soluble, nonpolar molecules pass readily through a cell membrane because they dissolve in the hydrophobic, nonpolar portion of the lipid bilayer. Although permeable to water (a polar molecule), the nonpolar lipid bilayer of cell membranes is impermeable to many other polar molecules, such… Read More
surfactants
In surfactant …surface-active molecule must be partly hydrophilic (water-soluble) and partly lipophilic (soluble in lipids, or oils). It concentrates at the interfaces between bodies or droplets of water and those of oil, or lipids, to act as an emulsifying agent, or foaming agent. Read More
vitamins
In human nutrition: Vitamins The nine water-soluble vitamins (soluble in polar solvents) are vitamin C and the eight B-complex vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Choline is a vitamin-like dietary component Read More
In vitamin: The water-soluble vitamins Although the vitamins included in this classification are all water-soluble, the degree to which they dissolve in water is variable. This property influences the route of absorption, their excretion, and their degree of tissue storage and distinguishes them from fat-soluble vitamins,… Read More
