Term: lyophilic
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03655

Definition:
The terms lyophilic (hydrophilic, lipophilic, oleophilic, etc.) and lyophobic (lipophobic, etc.) may be used to describe the character of interaction of a particular atomic group with the medium. In this usage the terms have the relative qualitative meaning of 'solvent preferring' (water-preferring, fat-preferring, etc.) and 'solvent rejecting' (water-rejecting, fat-rejecting, etc.) respectively.

Related Terms:
1) hydrophilic (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.H02906).
2) lipophilic (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03572).
3) lipophobic (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03573).

Source: PAC, 1972, 31, 577. 'Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units, Appendix II: Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry' on page 607 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197231040577)

Citation: 'lyophilic' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03655

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.