Hofmeister phenomena: an update on ion specificity in biology

CONTENTS 1. Introduction—The Background to Hofmeister Effects 1.1. A Caveat on Language: Progress in Theory 1.2. Why Hofmeister Matters in Biology 1.3. Hofmeister Series 2. Molecular Interactions 2.1. Backdrop of Classical Theoretical Ideas 2.2. Interplay between Different Forces 3. Specific Ion Effects in the Physical Chemistry of Aqueous Solutions 3.1. Viscosity 3.2. Activity Coefficients 3.3. pH and Buffers 4. Correlations with Physico-Chemical Parameters: The Law of Matching Water Affinities 5. Hofmeister Effects in the Bulk Phase 6. Hofmeister Effects in Surfactant and Polymer Systems and at Interfaces 7. Hofmeister Effects in Proteins and Enzymes 7.1. Proteins 7.2. Enzymes 8. Hofmeister Effects in Biology and Medicine 9. The Other Side of the Coin. Future Perspectives: Interplay between Ion Specificity, Membrane Organization, Protein Structure and Activity 9.1. Specific Ion Effects at the Cellular Level 9.2. Enzymes 9.3. Bacterial Growth 9.4. Inorganic Nanoparticle Effects 9.5. Membrane Structural Changes 10. Conclusions Author Information Biographies Acknowledgment References