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Solubility

Solubility

Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...

Solution Formation

Solution Formation

There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride.
This selective solubility...

Solubility Equilibria: Overview

Solubility Equilibria: Overview

When a substance such as sodium chloride is added to water, it dissolves, forming an aqueous solution. The extent of dissolution is called solubility. The process of dissolution can exist in equilibrium, just like other chemical processes. Solubility equilibria are also called precipitation equilibria because the process of solubility can be reversible. The reverse of the solubility process is called precipitation.
Solubility is important in biological and environmental processes. A notable...

Solvents

Solvents

A solvent is a substance, most often a liquid, that can dissolve other substances. Here, the substance being dissolved is called a solute. When a solvent and a solute combine, they form a solution - a homogenous mixture of both the solvent and the solute. Water is a universal biological solvent. Its polar structure allows it to dissolve many other polar compounds. The ability of water to dissolve is governed by a balance between water molecules binding to each other and binding to the solute.
A...

General Properties of Solutions

General Properties of Solutions

Many common substances around us exist as a solution, such as ocean water, air, and gasoline. All solutions are mixtures of substances that are composed of varying amounts of two or more types of atoms or molecules. A mixture with a non-uniform composition is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas a mixture with a uniform composition is a homogeneous mixture. The components that make the homogeneous mixture are evenly spread out and thoroughly mixed.

Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration

Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration

Water and other polar molecules are attracted to ions. The electrostatic attraction between an ion and a molecule with a dipole is called an ion-dipole attraction. These attractions play an important role in the dissolution of ionic compounds in water.
When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse uniformly throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions, reducing the strong electrostatic forces between them. This process...

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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid

Published on: September 20, 2017

Aqueous solubility and true solutions.

¹Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. thorstlo@hi.is

|July 10, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Drug aggregate formation can lead to false negatives in high-throughput screening (HTS). Novel solubility methods distinguishing molecules from aggregates could improve drug discovery efficacy.

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Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid

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Area of Science:

Pharmaceutical Sciences
Physical Chemistry
Drug Discovery

Background:

Distinguishing between true solutions and colloidal solutions is challenging due to aggregate formation.
Small molecular aggregates can exhibit different receptor affinities than individual molecules.
Aggregate formation impacts drug physicochemical properties like solubility and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of molecular aggregation on drug activity in screening assays.
To explore how aggregate formation influences drug properties.
To highlight the need for methods differentiating molecules from aggregates in drug discovery.

Main Methods:

Literature review on solution behavior and aggregate formation.
Discussion of drug/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes as models.
Analysis of studies on drug solubility and aggregation in cyclodextrin solutions.

Main Results:

Practically insoluble drugs form aggregates, with formation increasing as solubility decreases.
Aggregate formation can lead to decreased apparent activity in high-throughput screening (HTS), causing false negatives.
Physicochemical properties of drugs are significantly influenced by aggregation.

Conclusions:

Aggregate formation poses a challenge for accurate drug activity assessment in HTS.
Developing methods to distinguish individual molecules from aggregates is crucial for reliable drug candidate screening.
Improved solubility determination methods can enhance the efficacy of drug discovery pipelines.