Solvation thermodynamics in a van der Waals liquid

The expression of the chemical potential of a solute in a solvent is derived exploiting the van der Waals model of liquids using a statistical thermodynamical approach. Then the solvation thermodynamics is determined, and discussed in detail for the case of an infinitely dilute solution. The analysis shows that the definitions introduced by Ben-Naim are exact and need no corrections. Moreover, the results obtained are in line with the theoretical approach devised by Lee to rationalize the experimental thermodynamic data of solvation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.