What is meant by the term hydrophobic interactions?

Question

What is meant by the term hydrophobic interactions?

Answer 1

neillup is right, but there is a little bit more to it than that.  "Hydrophobic interactions" are not so much positive attractions themselves, as the results of being excluded from stronger hydrophilic (polar and hydrogen bonding) interactions. Rather like the people most out of place at a party ending up talking to each other, not because they attract each other in particular but because they are excluded by the networks that form around them.

Answer 2

Hydrophobic interactions are NOT interactions! Hydrocarbon and water do not interact.

This term describe the tendency of hydrocarbons (or of lipophilic hydrocarbon-like groups in solutes) to form intermolecular aggregates in an aqueous medium. The name arises from the attribution of the phenomenon to the APPARENT repulsion between water and hydrocarbons. However, the phenomenon ought to be attributed to the effect of the hydrocarbon-like groups on the water-water interaction: molecules of water tend to form as much hydrogen bonds as they can and therefore it looks like they push hydrocarbon molecules all together to minimise the energy of the system.

Answer 3

Hydrophobic interactions are those which, in aqueous solution,  tend to repel and avoid the water molecules.   Examples would be the interaction of CH3 moities with each each other.  CF3 has particularly strong hydrophobic interactions.  The result of hydrophobic interactions can be molecules which fold in on themselves avoid the water.

The opposite are hydrophilic interactions which can be largely OH and NH2 groups.  Those tend to interact with the water and open up in water solution.

Some of the most interesting aqueous solutions are of molecules which contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions tightly bound.   Soaps and detergents are among the simplest such molecules.

Answer 4

well... hydrophobic means... phobia or scared of the water... then that means, having interactions with a person with a scare on water...

hehe

well goodluck!