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(CHAPTER 5)
Molecular Diffusion in
Biological
Solutions and Gels
Diffusion of Biological Solutes in Liquids

• Important: The diffusion of solute molecules (macromolecules)

✓ Food processing: drying of fruit juice, coffee, tea, water, volatile
flavor or aroma constituent are removed. The constituent diffuse
through the liquid during evaporation.

✓ Fermentation process: diffuse through microorganisms like

nutrient, sugar, oxygen

✓ Macromolecules of MW > 10000 are called colloids solution. i.e

protein diffusion depends on the sizes, shape, and interaction
between the small molecule (i.e solvent)
PROTEIN?
Any of a group of complex organic macromolecules
that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
and usually sulfur and are composed of one or
more chains of amino acids. Proteins are
fundamental components of all living cells and
include many substances, such as enzymes,
hormones, and antibodies, that are necessary for
the proper functioning of an organism
P
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Prediction of Diffusivities for Biological Solutes 5

(a) Wilke-Chang Equation

Small solutes in aqueous solution with molecular weight less than

1000 or solute molar less than about 0.500 m3/kgmol

T
DAB = 1.173 10 −16
(M B )
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 BVA 0.6
(b) Stokes-Einstein Equation

For larger solutes, an approximation the Stokes-Einstein equation

can be used

9.96 x 10-16 T
DAB =
VA 13
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Prediction of Diffusivities for Biological Solutes

(c) Polson Equation

For a molecular weight above 1000

9.40 x 10-15T
DP =
 ( M A )1 3
Table 6.4-1 shows Diffusion Coefficient for Dilute
Biological Solutes in Aqueous Solution. (Page 437)
Example 1: Prediction of Diffusivity of
Albumin

Predict the diffusivity of bovine serum

albumin at 298 K in water as a dilute
solution using the modified Polson
equation and compare with the
experimental value in Table 6.4-1.
Problem 6.4-1 Prediction of Diffusivity of
Enzyme Urease in Solution

Predict the diffusivity of the enzyme urease in a dilute solution

in water at 298 K using the modified Polson equation and
compare the result with the experimental value in Table 6.4-1.
Diffusion in Biological Gels

• Gel can be looked as semisolid materials which are porous.

• Example: agarose, agar, gelatin.
• The pores or open spaces in the gel structure are filled with
water.
• The rates of diffusion of small solutes in the gels are somewhat
less than in aqueous solution.
• A few typical values of diffusivities of some solutes in various gel
are given in Table 6.4.2. (Page 440)
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Example 2 : Diffusion of Urea in Agar
A tube or bridge of a gel solution of 1.05 wt
% agar in water at 278 K (5oC) is 0.04 m
long and connects two agitated solutions of
urea in water. The urea concentration in the
first solution is 0.2 kg mol urea per cubic
meter solution and is 0 in the other.
Calculate the flux of urea at steady state.
Problem 6.4-2 Diffusion of Sucrose in Gelatin

A layer of gelatin in water 5mm thick containing 5.1 wt%

gelatin at 293 K separates two solutions of sucrose. The
concentration of sucrose in the solution at one surface of the
gelatin is constant at 2.0 g sucrose/100mL solution, and 0.2
g/100mL at the other surface. Calculate the flux of sucrose in
kg sucrose/s.m2 through the gel at steady state.

Answer: NA=9.072 × 10-7 kg sucrose/m2·s.

Diffusion of small solute in protein
solution
• Blockage diffusion from the large molecule
• DAP of A in globular type protein P solution
•
(
DAP = DAB 1 − 1.8110 c p −3
)
where cp = kg P/m3
DAP (c A1 − c A 2 )
NA =
z 2 − z1
where cA is conc of A in kg mol A/ m3
When solute A is in a protein solution P and
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binds to the Protein:

 −3  % free A   % bound A 
DAP =  DAB (1 − 1.8110 c p )  + Dp  
  100   100 

DAP(cA1 - cA2)
NA =
z2 - z1

DAP = Approximate diffusivity

DAB = Diffusivity of solute in the solution
DP = Diffusivity of protein in the solution
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Problem 1 : Diffusivity of Oxygen in

Protein Solution
Oxygen is diffusing through a solution of bovine
serum albumin(BSA) at 298K. Oxygen has been
shown not to bind to BSA. Predict the diffusivity
DAP of oxygen in a protein solution containing 11g
protein/100mL solution.
(See Table 6.3-1 for the diffusivity of oxygen in
water)

Answer: DAP=1.930 x10-9 m2/s.

Problem 2 : Diffusion of Uric Acid in
Protein Solution and Binding
Uric acid (A) at 310 K is diffusing in an aqueous solution of
protein (P) containing 8.2 g protein/100 mL solution. Uric
acid binds to the proteins and over the range of concentration
present, 33.33% of acid binds to the proteins in the solution.
The diffusivity DAB of uric acid in water is 1.21 x 10-5 cm2/s
and Dp is 0.091 x 10-5 cm2/s.
(a) Assuming no binding, predict the DAP due only to
blockage effects.
(b) Assuming blockage plus binding effects, predict the DAP.
(c) Based on the value in (b), predict the flux for a
concentration of acid of 0.05 g/L at point 1 and 0 g/L at
point 2 with a distance 1.5 µm away.
Answer: DAP = (a)1.03 x10-9 m2/s, (b) 7.172 x10-10 m2/s
(c) NA = 2.392 x10-5 kg/m2s.
FINAL EXAM SEM 2 2022/2023
Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in human plasma.
The protein is synthesized in the liver and exported to other parts as a non-
glycosylated protein. An experiment is conducted by denaturing the HSA with
urea and the molecular mass diffusion is investigated. Urea is dissolved in an
aqueous solution containing 5 g protein/100 mL solution at 25 °C. Previous
result shown that 90% of the urea tends to bind with the HSA in the aqueous
solution. By assuming the aqueous solution has the properties similar as liquid
water, calculate the following parameters under the steady state condition.
a) Using temperature corrected factor from Polson equation, estimate the
diffusivity (DP) for HSA at 25 °C by correcting the diffusivity value at 20 °C to
25 °C.
b) If there is no HSA binding effect, determine the diffusivity of urea (DAP) in
aqueous solution (in m2/s) due to blockage effect only at 25 °C.
c) Under the effects of blockage and binding between urea and HSA, determine
the diffusivity of urea (DAP) in aqueous solution (in m2/s) at 25 °C.
d) Flux for concentration of urea of 0.05 kg/m3 at point 1 and 0 kg/m3 at point 2
is investigated. The two points are away from one another at 2 µm distance.
Calculate the flux of urea in aqueous solution if
i. there is no HSA binding effect
ii. blockage and binding between urea and HSA.