A SIMPLIFIED THERMODYNAMIC MODEL FOR PROTEIN-UPTAKE BY REVERSE MICELLES - THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

A simplified thermodynamic model for the uptake of proteins from a water phase into a supernatant oil phase containing reverse micelles is presented. The free energy change accompanying the protein uptake is expressed as a sum of electrostatic and ideal solution terms, and then it is minimized with respect to all the pertinent independent variables. Examples of calculations are given for a selected choice of the values of the physical parameters. Comparison with previous models is presented. As a test for the model, the uptake of cytochrome c from some alkali-metal halide solutions has been chosen. The comparison between the calculated and the experimental data is satisfactory for the dependence of the protein-transfer coefficient both from the salt concentration and from pH. © 1990 American Chemical Society.