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Lipophilic

Molecules are either repelled by or attracted to water. Each behaves in an opposite manner with fat, so that those that are attracted to water (hydrophilic) are repelled by fats. Those substances that are attracted to fats are called lipophilic or hydrophobic. Lipophilic molecules dropped in water generally cluster together, a property that helps cells stick together.

Lipophilic molecules are generally electrically neutral and nonpolar, therefore prefer other nonpolar solvents as opposed to the polar water. In thermodynamics, the explanation is rather that water rejects lipophilic molecules in favor of bonding with itself, because this enables it to reduce its chemical energy and thus enter the favored low-energy state. This means that the lipophilic molecules are actually inert, and that water is the active component in the rejection.

There are several types of lipophilic molecules, both important to water and not: alkanes, oils, fats, and any greasy substance. Lipophilic materials can be used to remove oils from water, as they will tend to cluster together. Complex molecules with one lipophilic end and one hydrophilic end are often found in organic material, and form an important conduit through the cell wall in most living things.Lipophilic molecules are also important for transporting fats and similar substances through organic material.

Web Resources On Lipophilic

Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic
Hydrophobe

Book Resources On Lipophilic

Exposure mechanisms and uptake routes of lipophilic organic toxicants in finfish by Peter A Van Veld
Lipophilic organic material: An apparatus for extracting solids used for their concentration from sea water by M Ehrhardt

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