Octanol-water partition coefficient

The n-octanol-water partition coefficient, K_ow is a partition coefficient for the two-phase system consisting of n-octanol and water.^[1] K_ow is also frequently referred to by the symbol P, especially in the English literature. It is also called n-octanol-water partition ratio.^[2]^[3]^[4]

K_ow serves as a measure of the relationship between lipophilicity (fat solubility) and hydrophilicity (water solubility) of a substance. The value is greater than one if a substance is more soluble in fat-like solvents such as n-octanol, and less than one if it is more soluble in water.^{[citation needed]}

If a substance is present as several chemical species in the octanol-water system due to association or dissociation, each species is assigned its own K_ow value. A related value, D, does not distinguish between different species, only indicating the concentration ratio of the substance between the two phases.^{[citation needed]}

^ Sangster J (1997). Octanol-water partition coefficients : fundamentals and physical chemistry. Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-97397-1. OCLC 36430034.
^ Mackay D (2021). Multimedia environmental models : the fugacity approach. J. Mark Parnis (Third ed.). Boca Raton, FL. ISBN 978-1-000-09499-2. OCLC 1182869019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Hodges G, Eadsforth C, Bossuyt B, Bouvy A, Enrici MH, Geurts M, et al. (2019). "A comparison of log Kow (n-octanol–water partition coefficient) values for non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants determined using predictions and experimental methods". Environmental Sciences Europe. 31 (1). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0176-7.
^ Hendriks AJ, van der Linde A, Cornelissen G, Sijm DT (July 2001). "The power of size. 1. Rate constants and equilibrium ratios for accumulation of organic substances related to octanol-water partition ratio and species weight". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 20 (7): 1399–420. doi:10.1002/etc.5620200703. PMID 11434281. S2CID 25971836.

[1] Sangster J (1997). Octanol-water partition coefficients : fundamentals and physical chemistry. Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-97397-1. OCLC 36430034.

[2] Mackay D (2021). Multimedia environmental models : the fugacity approach. J. Mark Parnis (Third ed.). Boca Raton, FL. ISBN 978-1-000-09499-2. OCLC 1182869019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[3] Hodges G, Eadsforth C, Bossuyt B, Bouvy A, Enrici MH, Geurts M, et al. (2019). "A comparison of log Kow (n-octanol–water partition coefficient) values for non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants determined using predictions and experimental methods". Environmental Sciences Europe. 31 (1). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0176-7.

[4] Hendriks AJ, van der Linde A, Cornelissen G, Sijm DT (July 2001). "The power of size. 1. Rate constants and equilibrium ratios for accumulation of organic substances related to octanol-water partition ratio and species weight". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 20 (7): 1399–420. doi:10.1002/etc.5620200703. PMID 11434281. S2CID 25971836.

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