BUFFER SOLUTIONS
The tables below cover only the commonly used buffers and are not intended to be exhaustive.
The first three tables are biologically compatible in that they do not contain materials which
could interfere with enzymes or alter the structure of complex molecules other than changes
due to changes in pH.
Table I
Table II
Citrate/Phosphate buffer
( P r o p o r t i o n s t o g i v e 1 0 0 c m33 )
Phosphate buffer - 50cm33 O.2M KH22PO44
plus stated volume O.2M NaOH
d i l u t e d t o 2 0 0 c m33
Desired pH
Volume of 0.2M
NaOH
Desired pH
2.2
0.2M
Na 22 H P O 44
c m33
2.0
0 . 1M
Citric Acid
c m33
98.0
2.4
6.2
2.6
6.0
5.7
93.8
6.2
8.6
10.9
89.1
6.4
12.6
2.8
15.9
84.1
6.6
17.8
3.0
20.5
79.5
6.8
23.65
3.2
24.7
76.3
7.0
29.65
3.4
28.5
71.5
7.2
35.0
3.6
31.2
68.8
7.4
39.5
3.8
33.8
66.1
7.6
42.8
4.0
37.0
63.0
7.8
45.2
4.2
40.0
60.0
8.0
46.8
4.4
42.1
57.9
4.6
44.1
55.9
4.8
47.5
52.5
5.0
49.3
50.7
5.2
52.6
47.4
5.4
54.7
45.3
5.6
56.8
43.2
5.8
59.2
40.8
6.0
62.1
6.2
Table III
A c e t a t e b u f f e r - 2 0 c m33 of 1M sodium
a c e t a t e p l u s t h e s t a ted volume of IM
a c e t i c a c i d a n d d i l u t e d t o 2 0 0 c m33
Desired pH
Volume of 1M
acetic acid
37.9
4.1
70.0
64.1
35.9
4.2
60.0
6.4
66.1
33.9
4.4
49.0
6.6
72.5
27.5
4.6
25.0
6.8
77.0
23.0
4.8
20.0
7.0
82.3
17.7
5.0
12.5
7.2
85.6
14.4
7.4
88.9
11.1
7.6
92.2
7.8
7.8
94.8
5.2
8.0
95.8
4.2
BUFFER SOLUTIONS (contd)
Table IV
Table V
Phthalate buffer
5 0 c m33 0 . 2 M p o t a s s i u m h y d r o g e n
phthalate, plus st ated volume of 0.2M
HCl and diluted to 200cm33 with water.
Borate buffer
0 . 7 4 5 6 g K C l + 0 . 6 1 8 g H 33 B0 33 in 50cm33
water, plus stated volume of 0.2M NaOH
a n d d i l u t e d t o 2 0 0 c m33 w i t h w a t e r .
Desired pH
Volume of
0.2M HCl
Desired pH
Volume of
0.2M NaOH
2.2
46.6
8.0
3.97
2.4
39.6
8.2
5.9
2.6
33.0
8.4
8.5
2.8
26.5
8.6
12.0
3.0
20.4
8.8
16.3
3.2
14.8
9.0
21.3
3.4
9.95
9.2
26.7
3.6
6.0
9.4
32.0
3.8
2.65
9.6
36.85
4 0
nil
9.8
40.8
10.0
43.9
Table VI
Buffers for EDTA titrations
pH
Composition
Use
Indicator
10.0
67.5g NH4 Cl + 570cm3
Ammonia (0.880) diluted to 1 litre
Ca; Mg;
Eriochrome _
water hardness
100cm3 1M NH4 Cl + 500cm3
1M NH
Most divalent
heavy metals
Pyrocatechol
violet
5.0
100cm3 0.1M Ethanoic acid +
200cm3
0.1 M Sodium acetate
Pb; Zn
Xylenol orange
2.0
500cm3 1M Sodium ethanoate +
52.5cm3 1M HCl diluted to 250cm3
Bi
Xylenol orange