In biology, intra- and extracellular solutions often contain many different solutes, including small molecular weight compounds, proteins and electrolytes. A solution theory is needed to make predictions for the multisolute solutions without the need to fit multisolute solution data, since measuring the solution properties of all possible combinations of biological solutes is prohibitively time-consuming. We have validated a form of the osmotic virial equation that requires only single-solute solution data to make accurate predictions for a variety of multisolute solutions. We utilized our osmotic virial equation and the combination of our osmotic virial equation with an electrolyte solution theory, the Pitzer equation, to make predictions for solutions containing small molecular weight compounds and sodium chloride. When compared to experimental measurements from the literature, each model gives equally accurate predictions. Compared to other multisolute solution theories, our osmotic virial equation represents a simple, thermodynamically-correct method to make predictions of multisolute solutions.
Richelle Prickett is doing her PhD in Chemical Engineering under the supervision of Dr Janet Elliot and Dr Locksley McGann. |
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