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Encyclopedia of Membranes pp 1–4Cite as

Amphiphilic Molecules

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Synonyms

Amphipathic molecules; Amphiphiles; Amphiphilic block copolymers; Amphiphilic polymers; Amphipols; Detergents; Emulsifiers; Hydrotropes; Lipids/phospholipids; Soaps; Surfactants

Amphiphilic molecules is a general term that describes any compound that contains two distinct covalently bonded components with different affinity for the solvent in the same molecule, in which one part possesses a high affinity for polar solvents (such as water), and another part has a strong affinity for nonpolar solvents, such as hydrocarbons, ethers, and esters. Surfactants, polymer amphiphiles, and some lipid molecules, containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, are typical examples of amphiphilic molecules.

Low Molecular Weight Amphiphiles

Surfactants (surface active agents), more popularly known as soaps, are among the oldest known chemicals used by human. This type of molecules now play a crucial role in many areas such as cleaning products, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China

    Jianhua Zhang

  2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China

    Jianhua Zhang

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  1. Jianhua Zhang
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Correspondence to Jianhua Zhang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council of Italy, ITM-CNR, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Enrico Drioli

  2. Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council of Italy, ITM-CNR, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Lidietta Giorno

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Zhang, J. (2014). Amphiphilic Molecules. In: Drioli, E., Giorno, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Membranes. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40872-4_1789-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40872-4_1789-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-40872-4

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