September 17, 2025Open Access

Mechanism and regulation of hydrophobic interactions in electrolyte solutions

PSPengyu SunWeifang Medical University MZMinghui ZhangUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of China LZLonglong ZhangChinese Academy of Sciences

Key Points

Hydrophobic interactions increase with higher ion concentration and charge density in electrolyte solutions.
Molecular dynamics simulations show key ion-dependent hydrophobic interactions between nanoscale graphene surfaces.
Electrolyte environments significantly alter the classic understanding of hydrophobic effects.
Understanding these interactions can improve materials science and biochemical applications.

Abstract

Abstract Ions critically modulate hydrophobic interactions. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate ion-dependent hydrophobic interactions between two nanoscale hydrophobic graphene surfaces in saline solutions, thereby elucidating the mechanistic basis of hydrophobic effects in electrolyte environments. Results demonstrate that ion concentration and ion charge density constitute two important factors.

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