Monosodium citrate, more correctly, sodium dihydrogen citrate (Latin: ''natrium citricum acidulatum''), is an

acid salt Acid salts are a class of salts that produce an acidic solution after being dissolved in a solvent. Its formation as a substance has a greater electrical conductivity than that of the pure solvent. An acidic solution formed by acid salt is made duri ...

citric acid Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in t ...

Disodium citrate Disodium citrate, also known as disodium hydrogen citrate, Alkacitron, and sesquihydrate, is an acid salt of citric acid with the chemical formula Na2C6H6O7. Uses Food It is used as an antioxidant in food and to improve the effects of other ...

and

trisodium citrate Trisodium citrate has the chemical formula of Na3C6H5O7. It is sometimes referred to simply as "sodium citrate", though sodium citrate can refer to any of the three sodium salts of citric acid. It possesses a saline, mildly tart flavor, and is a ...

are also known. It can be prepared by partial neutralisation of citric acid with an aqueous solution of

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3−) ...

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word ''carbonate'' may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate g ...

. It has a slightly acidic taste. :NaHCO₃ + C₆H₈O₇ → NaC₆H₇O₇ + CO₂ + H₂O :Na₂CO₃ + 2C₆H₈O₇ → 2NaC₆H₇O₇ + CO₂ + H₂O It is highly soluble in water and practically insoluble in ethanol. Monosodium citrate is used as an

anticoagulant Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...

in donated blood. It is used as an

alkalinizing agent Alkalinizing agents are drugs used to manage disorders associated with low pH. For example, they may be used to treat acidosis due to kidney failure. Used for oral or parenteral therapy, sodium bicarbonate is the commonly preferred alkalinizing ...

to prevent

kidney stone disease Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material (kidney stone) develops in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine s ...

. The crystals form as nearly perfect cubes.

References

Organic sodium salts Food additives Citrates Acid salts E-number additives {{organic-compound-stub