Purpose. The purpose of this work was to assess the molecular properties that influence solute permeation across silicone membranes and to compare the results with transport across human skin. Methods. The permeability coefficients (log K p) of a series of model solutes across silicone membranes were determined from the analysis of simple transport experiments using a pseudosteady-state mathematical model of the diffusion process. Subsequently, structure-permeation relationships were constructed and examined, focusing in particular on the difference between solute octanol/water and 1,2-dichloroethane/water partition coefficients (Δlog P oct-dce), which reported upon H-bond donor activity, and the computationally derived molecular hydrogen-bonding potential. Results. The hydrogen-bond donor acidity and the lipophilicity of the compounds examined greatly influenced their permeation across silicone membranes. Furthermore, for a limited dataset, a significant correlation was identified between solute permeation across silicone membranes and that through human epidermis. Conclusion. The key molecular properties that control solute permeation across silicone membranes have been identified. For the set of substituted phenols and other unrelated compounds examined here, a similar structure-permeation relationship has been derived for their transport through human epidermis, suggesting application of the results to the prediction of flux across biological barrier
