Simple Calculation of Phase Diagrams for Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Solutions of Two Macromolecular Solute Species.

Abstract

A simple method is described for the calculation of two- and three-dimensional phase diagrams describing stability and coexistence curves or surfaces separating one- and two-phase regions in composition/temperature space of a solution containing solute species 1 and 2. The calculation requires a quantitative description of the intermolecular potentials of mean force acting between like (1–1 and 2–2) and unlike (1–2) species. Example calculations are carried out for solutions of species interacting via spherically symmetric square-well potentials as first-order models for protein–protein interaction. When the interaction between species 1 and 2 is more repulsive than those acting between like species, the two-phase region is characterized by an equilibrium between a phase enriched in 1 and depleted in 2 and a phase enriched in 2 and depleted in 1. When the interaction between species 1 and 2 is more attractive than those acting between like species, the two-phase region is characterized by an equilibrium between a phase enriched in both species and a phase depleted in both species. The latter example provides a first-order description of coacervate formation without postulating specific interactions between the two solute species.