Why are some ions from the Hofmeister series better at stabilizing the structure of proteins than others? Why are some ions better at salting-out, while others are better at salting-in? How does the interaction mechanism between ions and proteins function and what role does water play during the ionic mechanism in electrolyte solutions? These are just some of the questions that have brought researchers from different fields of chemistry together for almost 130 years now. With the development of new technologies for instruments, analysis and computer simulations, the last couple of decades have been marked by significant advances in the understanding of the Hofmeister effect. And yet, we are still at the beginning. It is these advances that created a fertile ground for a vast number of new fields of research within the field of physical chemistry, as well as the field of biochemistry. In my bachelor thesis I try to explain some basic facts about proteins and electrolyte solutions, the role of water in the working mechanism of Hofmeister ions, and to illustrate some essential researches on this topic.
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