Calorimetry of model biomolecules in aqueous solution

Abstract

A survey of the thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions of model compounds is presented. The review is focused on the analysis of the thermal data obtained from dilution and mixing experiments monitoring weak interactions occurring between solvated solute species. The treatment of experimental results in the form of a virial-like expansion and the factorization analysis known as “group-contribution approach” is discussed in order to gain insight into the phenomenological process at molecular level. Examples are chosen in three dominating classes of biomolecular interactions: purine-like, peptide and carbohydrate molecules.