Hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance theory

It is known that sweet-tasting compounds are quite common and their chemical structures vary widely. In order to establish a structure-taste relationship, a large number of compounds have been tested, and several molecular theories of sweet taste have been proposed by different groups. At present, the phenomenon of sweet taste seems best explained by the tripartite functioning of the postulated AH, B (proton donor-acceptor) system and hydro-phobic site X (1, 2, J3, 4 5). Sweet-tasting compounds possess the AH-B-X system in the molecules, and the receptor site seems to be also a trifunctional unit similar to the AH-B-X system of the sweet compounds. Sweet taste results from interaction between the receptor site and the sweet unit of the compounds. Space-filling properties are also important as well as the charge and hydro-phobic properties. The hydrophile-hydrophobe balance in a molecule seems to be another important factor. 

This observation was expanded into a thermodynamic argument [42] for the prediction of exfoliation of montmorillonite as a function of the surface treatment and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the polymer continuous phase. More work needs to be done in matching the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of fluorinated polymers with the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the organomontmorillonite in order to achieve full exfoliation of the montmorillonite in the polymer. Full exfoliation of the montmorillonite in the polymer will allow for a valid examination of the mechanical properties of fluorinated polymer-montmorillonite composites in relation to the theory of reinforcement developed in Chapter 5. 

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