Symmetry effects and equivalences in lattice models of hydrophobic interaction

We establish the equivalence of a recently introduced discrete model of the hydrophobic interaction, as well as its extension to continuous state variables, with the Ising model in a magnetic field with temperature-dependent strength. In order to capture the effect of symmetries of the solvent particles we introduce a generalized multi-state model. We solve this model – which is not of the Ising type – exactly in one dimension. Our findings suggest that a small increase in symmetry decreases the amplitude of the solvent-mediated part of the potential of mean force between solute particles and enhances the solubility in a very simple fashion. High symmetry decreases also the range of the attractive potential. This weakening of the hydrophobic effect observed in the model is in agreement with the notion that the effect is entropic in origin.