A buffer solution is a solution where the pH does not change significantly on dilution or if an acid or base is added at constant temperature.
Its pH changes very little when a small amount of
strong acid
Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbolised by the chemical formula , to dissociate into a hydron (chemistry), proton, , and an anion, . The Dissociation (chemistry), dissociation or ionization of a strong acid in solution is effectivel ...
or
base is added to it. Buffer solutions are used as a means of keeping pH at a nearly constant value in a wide variety of chemical applications. In nature, there are many
living systems
Living systems are life forms (or, more colloquially known as living things) treated as a system. They are said to be open self-organizing and said to interact with their environment. These systems are maintained by flows of information, energy an ...
that use buffering for pH regulation. For example, the
bicarbonate buffering system is used to regulate the
pH of
blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is com ...
, and bicarbonate also acts as a
buffer in the ocean.
Principles of buffering

Buffer solutions resist pH change because of a
chemical equilibrium
In a chemical reaction, chemical equilibrium is the state in which both the Reagent, reactants and Product (chemistry), products are present in concentrations which have no further tendency to change with time, so that there is no observable chan ...
between the weak acid HA and its conjugate base A
−:
When some strong acid is added to an equilibrium mixture of the weak acid and its conjugate base, hydrogen ions (H
+) are added, and the equilibrium is shifted to the left, in accordance with
Le Chatelier's principle
In chemistry, Le Chatelier's principle (pronounced or ) is a principle used to predict the effect of a change in conditions on chemical equilibrium. Other names include Chatelier's principle, Braun–Le Chatelier principle, Le Chatelier–Braun p ...
. Because of this, the hydrogen ion concentration increases by less than the amount expected for the quantity of strong acid added.
Similarly, if strong alkali is added to the mixture, the hydrogen ion concentration decreases by less than the amount expected for the quantity of alkali added. In Figure 1, the effect is illustrated by the simulated titration of a weak acid with
p''K''a = 4.7. The relative concentration of undissociated acid is shown in blue, and of its conjugate base in red. The pH changes relatively slowly in the buffer region, pH = p''K''
a ± 1, centered at pH = 4.7, where
Anbsp;=
−">− The hydrogen ion concentration decreases by less than the amount expected because most of the added hydroxide ion is consumed in the reaction
and only a little is consumed in the neutralization reaction (which is the reaction that results in an increase in pH)
Once the acid is more than 95%
deprotonated, the pH rises rapidly because most of the added alkali is consumed in the neutralization reaction.
Buffer capacity
Buffer capacity is a quantitative measure of the resistance to change of pH of a solution containing a buffering agent with respect to a change of acid or alkali concentration. It can be defined as follows:
[
where is an infinitesimal amount of added base, or
where is an infinitesimal amount of added acid. pH is defined as −log10 +">+ and ''d''(pH) is an infinitesimal change in pH.
With either definition the buffer capacity for a weak acid HA with dissociation constant ''K''a can be expressed as]
where +">+is the concentration of hydrogen ions, and is the total concentration of added acid. ''K''w is the equilibrium constant for self-ionization of water
The self-ionization of water (also autoionization of water, autoprotolysis of water, autodissociation of water, or simply dissociation of water) is an ionization reaction in properties of water, pure water or in an aqueous solution, in which a wa ...
, equal to 1.0. Note that in solution H+ exists as the hydronium
In chemistry, hydronium (hydroxonium in traditional British English) is the cation , also written as , the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water. It is often viewed as the positive ion present when an Arrhenius acid is dissolved ...
ion H3O+, and further aquation of the hydronium ion has negligible effect on the dissociation equilibrium, except at very high acid concentration.
This equation shows that there are three regions of raised buffer capacity (see figure 2).
* In the central region of the curve (colored green on the plot), the second term is dominant, and Buffer capacity rises to a local maximum at pH = ''pK''a. The height of this peak depends on the value of pKa. Buffer capacity is negligible when the concentration Aof buffering agent is very small and increases with increasing concentration of the buffering agent.[ Some authors show only this region in graphs of buffer capacity.][ Buffer capacity falls to 33% of the maximum value at pH = p''K''a ± 1, to 10% at pH = p''K''a ± 1.5 and to 1% at pH = p''K''a ± 2. For this reason the most useful range is approximately p''K''a ± 1. When choosing a buffer for use at a specific pH, it should have a p''K''a value as close as possible to that pH.]
* With strongly acidic solutions, pH less than about 2 (coloured red on the plot), the first term in the equation dominates, and buffer capacity rises exponentially with decreasing pH: This results from the fact that the second and third terms become negligible at very low pH. This term is independent of the presence or absence of a buffering agent.
* With strongly alkaline solutions, pH more than about 12 (coloured blue on the plot), the third term in the equation dominates, and buffer capacity rises exponentially with increasing pH: This results from the fact that the first and second terms become negligible at very high pH. This term is also independent of the presence or absence of a buffering agent.
Applications of buffers
The pH of a solution containing a buffering agent can only vary within a narrow range, regardless of what else may be present in the solution. In biological systems this is an essential condition for enzyme
An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...
s to function correctly. For example, in human blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is compo ...
a mixture of carbonic acid
Carbonic acid is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . The molecule rapidly converts to water and carbon dioxide in the presence of water. However, in the absence of water, it is quite stable at room temperature. The interconversion ...
(HCO) and bicarbonate
In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. It is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula .
Bicarbonate serves a crucial bioche ...
(HCO) is present in the plasma fraction; this constitutes the major mechanism for maintaining the pH of blood between 7.35 and 7.45. Outside this narrow range (7.40 ± 0.05 pH unit), acidosis
Acidosis is a biological process producing hydrogen ions and increasing their concentration in blood or body fluids. pH is the negative log of hydrogen ion concentration and so it is decreased by a process of acidosis.
Acidemia
The term ac ...
and alkalosis
Alkalosis is the result of a process reducing hydrogen ion concentration of arterial blood plasma (alkalemia). In contrast to acidemia (serum pH 7.35 or lower), alkalemia occurs when the serum pH is higher than normal (7.45 or higher). Alkalosis ...
metabolic conditions rapidly develop, ultimately leading to death if the correct buffering capacity is not rapidly restored.
If the pH value of a solution rises or falls too much, the effectiveness of an enzyme decreases in a process, known as denaturation, which is usually irreversible. The majority of biological samples that are used in research are kept in a buffer solution, often phosphate buffered saline
Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) is a buffer solution (pH ~ 7.4) commonly used in biological research. It is a water-based salt solution containing disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium chloride and, in some formulations, potassium chloride and pota ...
(PBS) at pH 7.4.
In industry, buffering agents are used in fermentation
Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...
processes and in setting the correct conditions for dyes used in colouring fabrics. They are also used in chemical analysis and calibration of pH meter
A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the hydrogen-ion Thermodynamic activity, activity in Aqueous solution, water-based solutions, indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH. The pH meter measures the difference in ele ...
s.
Simple buffering agents
:
For buffers in acid regions, the pH may be adjusted to a desired value by adding a strong acid such as hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is ...
to the particular buffering agent. For alkaline buffers, a strong base such as sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive base (chemistry), ...
may be added. Alternatively, a buffer mixture can be made from a mixture of an acid and its conjugate base. For example, an acetate buffer can be made from a mixture of acetic acid and sodium acetate
Sodium acetate, CH3COONa, also abbreviated Sodium, NaOxygen, OAcetyl, Ac, is the sodium Salt (chemistry), salt of acetic acid. This salt is colorless, deliquescent, and hygroscopy, hygroscopic.
Applications
Biotechnological
Sodium acetate is u ...
. Similarly, an alkaline buffer can be made from a mixture of the base and its conjugate acid.
"Universal" buffer mixtures
By combining substances with p''K''a values differing by only two or less and adjusting the pH, a wide range of buffers can be obtained. Citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a Transparency and translucency, colorless Weak acid, weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in Citrus, citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, ...
is a useful component of a buffer mixture because it has three p''K''a values, separated by less than two. The buffer range can be extended by adding other buffering agents. The following mixtures ( McIlvaine's buffer solutions) have a buffer range of pH 3 to 8.
:
A mixture containing citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a Transparency and translucency, colorless Weak acid, weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in Citrus, citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, ...
, monopotassium phosphate
Monopotassium phosphate (MKP) (also, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KDP, or monobasic potassium phosphate) is the inorganic compound with the formula KH2PO4. Together with dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4.(H2O)x) it is often used as a fertilizer, ...
, boric acid
Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula . It may also be called hydrogen orthoborate, trihydroxidoboron or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white ...
, and diethyl barbituric acid can be made to cover the pH range 2.6 to 12.
Other universal buffers are the Carmody buffer and the Britton–Robinson buffer, developed in 1931.
Common buffer compounds used in biology
For effective range see Buffer capacity
Buffer may refer to:
Science
* Buffer gas, an inert or nonflammable gas
* Buffer solution, a solution used to prevent changes in pH
* Lysis buffer, in cell biology
* Metal ion buffer
* Mineral redox buffer, in geology
Technology and engineerin ...
, above. Also see Good's buffers
Good's buffers (also Good buffers) are twenty buffering agents for biochemistry, biochemical and biology, biological research selected and described by Norman Good and colleagues during 1966–1980. Most of the buffers were new zwitterionic compoun ...
for the historic design principles and favourable properties of these buffer substances in biochemical applications.
Calculating buffer pH
Monoprotic acids
First write down the equilibrium expression
This shows that when the acid dissociates, equal amounts of hydrogen ion and anion are produced. The equilibrium concentrations of these three components can be calculated in an ICE table (ICE standing for "initial, change, equilibrium").
:
The first row, labelled I, lists the initial conditions: the concentration of acid is ''C''0, initially undissociated, so the concentrations of A− and H+ would be zero; ''y'' is the initial concentration of ''added'' strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid. If strong alkali, such as sodium hydroxide, is added, then ''y'' will have a negative sign because alkali removes hydrogen ions from the solution. The second row, labelled C for "change", specifies the changes that occur when the acid dissociates. The acid concentration decreases by an amount −''x'', and the concentrations of A− and H+ both increase by an amount +''x''. This follows from the equilibrium expression. The third row, labelled E for "equilibrium", adds together the first two rows and shows the concentrations at equilibrium.
To find ''x'', use the formula for the equilibrium constant in terms of concentrations:
Substitute the concentrations with the values found in the last row of the ICE table:
Simplify to
With specific values for ''C''0, ''K''a and ''y'', this equation can be solved for ''x''. Assuming that pH = −log10 +">+ the pH can be calculated as pH = −log10(''x'' + ''y'').
Polyprotic acids
Polyprotic acids are acids that can lose more than one proton. The constant for dissociation of the first proton may be denoted as ''K''a1, and the constants for dissociation of successive protons as ''K''a2, etc. Citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a Transparency and translucency, colorless Weak acid, weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in Citrus, citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, ...
is an example of a polyprotic acid H3A, as it can lose three protons.
:
When the difference between successive p''K''a values is less than about 3, there is overlap between the pH range of existence of the species in equilibrium. The smaller the difference, the more the overlap. In the case of citric acid, the overlap is extensive and solutions of citric acid are buffered over the whole range of pH 2.5 to 7.5.
Calculation of the pH with a polyprotic acid requires a speciation calculation to be performed. In the case of citric acid, this entails the solution of the two equations of mass balance:
''C''A is the analytical concentration of the acid, ''C''H is the analytical concentration of added hydrogen ions, ''βq'' are the cumulative association constants. ''K''w is the constant for self-ionization of water
The self-ionization of water (also autoionization of water, autoprotolysis of water, autodissociation of water, or simply dissociation of water) is an ionization reaction in properties of water, pure water or in an aqueous solution, in which a wa ...
. There are two non-linear
In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system (or a non-linear system) is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathe ...
simultaneous equation
In mathematics, a set of simultaneous equations, also known as a system of equations or an equation system, is a finite set of equations for which common solutions are sought. An equation system is usually classified in the same manner as single e ...
s in two unknown quantities 3−">3−and +">+ Many computer programs are available to do this calculation. The speciation diagram for citric acid was produced with the program HySS.
N.B. The numbering of cumulative, overall constants is the reverse of the numbering of the stepwise, dissociation constants.
:
Cumulative association constants are used in general-purpose computer programs such as the one used to obtain the speciation diagram above.
See also
*Henderson–Hasselbalch equation
In chemistry and biochemistry, the pH of weakly acidic Solution (chemistry), chemical solutions
can be estimated using the Henderson-Hasselbach Equation:
\ce = \ceK_\ce + \log_ \left( \frac \right)
The equation relates the pH of the weak ac ...
*Good's buffers
Good's buffers (also Good buffers) are twenty buffering agents for biochemistry, biochemical and biology, biological research selected and described by Norman Good and colleagues during 1966–1980. Most of the buffers were new zwitterionic compoun ...
*Common-ion effect
In chemistry, the common-ion effect refers to the decrease in solubility of an ionic precipitate by the addition to the solution of a soluble compound with an ion in common with the precipitate. This behaviour is a consequence of Le Chatelier's ...
* Metal ion buffer
*Mineral redox buffer
In geology, a redox buffer is an assemblage of minerals or compounds that constrains oxygen fugacity as a function of temperature. Knowledge of the redox conditions (or equivalently, oxygen fugacities) at which a rock forms and evolves can be ...
References
External links
{{Chemical equilibria
Acid–base chemistry
Acid–base physiology
Equilibrium chemistry