The physical origin of hydrophobic effects

From the structural studies on water and air/water interface, hydration free energy is derived, and used to investigate the origin of hydrophobic effects. As a solute is dissolved into water, hydration free energy increases, and is divided into initial and hydrophobic solvation processes. In the initial process, hydration free energy is dominated by hydrogen bonding in interfacial water (topmost water layer at solute/water interface). For hydrophobic process, hydration free energy is related to the hydrogen bonding in bulk and interfacial water. Therefore, hydrophobic effects originate from the structural competition between hydrogen bonding in bulk water and that in interfacial water.