Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Solubility03:00

Solubility

19.8K
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,...
19.8K
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions01:58

Cooperative Allosteric Transitions

8.3K
Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
8.3K
Detergent Purification of Membrane Proteins01:18

Detergent Purification of Membrane Proteins

5.8K
Detergents are used to purify the integral proteins of the membrane. The hydrophobic portion of the detergent can replace membrane phospholipids while solubilizing the membrane proteins. When detergent monomers reach a specific concentration in a solution called critical micelle concentration (CMC), they form micelles. Above CMC, the concentration of the detergent monomers remains in equilibrium with the micelle. The number of detergent monomers present in the CMC varies for each detergent, and...
5.8K
Solubility Equilibria: Overview01:09

Solubility Equilibria: Overview

1.1K
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...
1.1K
Solubility Equilibria03:07

Solubility Equilibria

55.3K
Solubility equilibria are established when the dissolution and precipitation of a solute species occur at equal rates. These equilibria underlie many natural and technological processes, ranging from tooth decay to water purification. An understanding of the factors affecting compound solubility is, therefore, essential to the effective management of these processes. This section applies previously introduced equilibrium concepts and tools to systems involving dissolution and precipitation.
The...
55.3K
Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

2.3K
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Anisotropic Swelling of a Single-Crystalline Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework Induced by Iodine Vapor Uptake.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Translational diffusion and isomerization reaction of a liquid crystal molecule at solid-liquid interface of ionic liquids studied by total internal reflection-transient grating spectroscopy.

Soft matter·2026
Same author

Extending Multi-Input Linear Correction to Energy Representation Theory: Accurate Solvation Free Energy Prediction Independent of Volume Information.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026
Same author

Classification of interfacial water governed by water-polymer interactions in hydrated polymers: A molecular dynamics simulation study of ethylene-based and acrylate polymers.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Enhanced Solvation of Hydrophobic Molecules in Aqueous Cygnet Mixtures Explored Through Their Solubility Isotherms.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same author

Ionic Liquid-Induced Solvation Structure Reconfiguration and Li<sup>+</sup> Chains in Water-in-Salt Electrolytes.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026
Same journal

Localization and delocalization of defect states in 2D polyaramid with carbon and nitrogen vacancies.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

The impact of macrocyclization: electronic structures and excited state dynamics of pillar[4]arene[1]quinone.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Tuning the transport properties of penta-graphene nanoribbons.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

High-throughput screening of M-based layered compounds as solid-state electrolytes for chloride-ion batteries.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Lower bound of the capacitance of constant phase elements based on electrochemical impedance spectra.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Stability constants of lanthanide-nitrate complexes in aqueous solutions: a theoretical study.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Synthesis of Monocyte-targeting Peptide Amphiphile Micelles for Imaging of Atherosclerosis
08:01

Synthesis of Monocyte-targeting Peptide Amphiphile Micelles for Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Published on: November 17, 2017

7.5K

Cooperativity in micellar solubilization.

Seishi Shimizu1, Nobuyuki Matubayasi

  • 1York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. seishi.shimizu@york.ac.uk.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|April 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Solutes enhance surfactant self-association, leading to cooperative solubilization below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). This universal mechanism explains reduced CMC and increased aggregation numbers observed in both surfactants and hydrotropes.

More Related Videos

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.2K
Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
08:18

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs

Published on: July 27, 2022

1.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Synthesis of Monocyte-targeting Peptide Amphiphile Micelles for Imaging of Atherosclerosis
08:01

Synthesis of Monocyte-targeting Peptide Amphiphile Micelles for Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Published on: November 17, 2017

7.5K
Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.2K
Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
08:18

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs

Published on: July 27, 2022

1.3K

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Colloid Science
  • Thermodynamics

Background:

  • Surfactant solutions exhibit solubilization below the critical micelle concentration (CMC).
  • Solutes can induce micellization and increase surfactant aggregation numbers even below CMC.
  • These phenomena suggest enhanced cooperativity during solubilization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To generalize a statistical thermodynamic theory of cooperative solubilization to surfactants.
  • To elucidate the mechanism behind solute-induced micellization and solubilization.
  • To explain experimental observations like CMC reduction and aggregation number increase.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a rigorous statistical thermodynamic theory for cooperative solubilization.
  • Application of the theory to surfactant systems.
  • Analysis of solute-surfactant interactions and self-association.

Main Results:

  • The theory explains the sudden onset of solubilization below CMC.
  • Reduced CMC and increased aggregation numbers are identified as manifestations of cooperative solubilization.
  • Solute-enhanced surfactant self-association is the driving force for cooperativity.

Conclusions:

  • Cooperative solubilization is a universal mechanism applicable to both hydrotropes and surfactants at low concentrations.
  • Surfactant self-association, enhanced by solutes, drives cooperativity.
  • The developed theory provides a rigorous framework for understanding these complex interactions.