chaotropic: what's it mean?

[Vladimir Svetlov]

In article <6sifrt$2to_002 at doit.wisc.edu>,
klenchin at facstaff.REMOVE_TO_REPLY.wisc.edu (Dima Klenchin) wrote:

> In article <svetlov-ya02408000R3108980918130001 at news.doit.wisc.edu>,
svetlov at oncology.wisc.edu (Vladimir Svetlov) wrote:
> 
> >Chaotropic is a term in protein chemistry referring to a solvent or solute
> >that has propensity (tropos) to induce disordered state (unfolded/thus
> >chaos) in proteins. 
> 
> My friend, I am all blush :-)

Why - did anybody commented on your invention of the hydrophobic forces?

> In _water_, not proteins (despite the fact that
> weakened disrupting hydrophobic does typically result in the protein 
> denaturation. 

Chaotropic/cosmotropic classification of solutes refers to structure in
proteins  and in a way partially redundant to denaturant/...?,
chaotropic/lyotropic classification of ions is by all means related (and
more general) but not negating the above. 

Cheers,
V.