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Amphiphilic

An amphipathic (a.k.a. amphiphilic) molecule contains both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The hydrophobic group can be a long carbon chain, with the form: CH₃(CH₂)_n, with 4 < n < 16. The hydrophilic group falls into one of the following categories:

Ionic Molecules
- Anionic (with respect to the charge on the group maintaining hydrophobia). Examples are:
  - fatty acids: RCO₂^-Na⁺;
  - sulfates: RSO₄^-Na⁺;
  - sulfonates: RSO₃^-Na⁺.
- Cationic. These are generically bactericidal and hence non-biodegradable.
Amphoteric Molecules. Examples are phospholipids, one of the main constituents of biological membranes: they insulate the cells from the surrounding medium.
Non-Ionic Molecules. A small polymer is grafted onto a hydrophobic segment.
Block Copolymers
Floation Additives

See also: Free surface energy, Sodium dodecyl sulfate;

Referenced By

Ionic

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Amphiphilic".