Abstract
Banks, Damjanovic and Vernon1 have proposed that the thermodynamic compensation rule which is claimed to apply to the denaturation of proteins2,3 is the result of an experimental artefact and thus of no physical significance. In particular, by taking logarithms of the unimolecular rate equation, they obtain where C is the rate constant of the reaction. Provided that log C does not vary very much, for a small range of temperatures the left side of equation (1) is approximately constant so that δS‡ and δH‡ are linearly related. But the real point of physical significance is not so much that δS‡ and δH‡ are linearly related, but that log C should vary so very little with δH‡. In the particular case they consider, this is the result of the experimental difficulty of measuring more than a small range of values of C and T so that only those materials which apparently obey the compensation law are susceptible to investigation.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Banks, B. E. C., Damjanovic, V., and Vernon, C. A., Nature, 240, 147 (1972).
Sukhazor, B. L., and Likhtenshtein, G. I., Biofizika, 10, 935 (1965).
Rosenberg, B., Kemeny, G., Switzer, R. C., and Hamilton, T. C., Nature, 232, 471 (1971).
Eley, D. D., J. Polymer Sci., C17, 73 (1967).
Stuke, J., J. Non Cryst. Sol., 4, 1 (1970).
Green, M. E., J. Chem. Phys., 51, 3279 (1969).
Kemeny, G., and Rosenberg, B., J. Chem. Phys., 53, 3549 (1970).
Boon, M. R., Disc. Faraday Soc., 51, 223 (1971).
Roberts, G. G., J. Phys., C, 4, 3167 (1971).
Johnston, G. R., and Lyons, L. E., Phys. Stat. Sol., 37, K43 (1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BOON, M. Thermodynamic Compensation Rule. Nature 243, 401 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/243401a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/243401a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.