BUFFER SOLUTIONS

M.Sc. Kovan Dilawer Issa

Analytical Chemistry (MA113)
Semester 1 (Fall Semester)
Lecture 9
February 4, 2023
Outline
◦ Buffer Solution
◦ Properties of buffer solutions
◦ Examples and applications of buffer solutions
◦ Mechanism of buffer solution in blood

Objectives
The students will be able to:
• Have comprehensive knowledge about buffer solutions
• Discuss about their application and importance in medical fields.
Buffer Solutions

1 2 3
Buffers are use
Buffer solution Buffer solutions are to maintain the
resists changes prepared from a
pH of solutions
in pH when it is conjugate acid-base
at a relatively
diluted or when pair, such as
CH3COOH/CH3COONa constant and
acids or bases
or NH4Cl/NH3 predetermined
are added to it.
level.
Buffer Solutions

Buffered aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)

contains buffers to help prevent
stomach irritation from the acidity of
the carboxylic acid group in aspirin.

The analgesic action is thought to arise because aspirin interferes with the synthesis
of prostaglandins, which are hormones involved in the transmission of pain signals.
Properties of Buffer Solutions

• Dilution indifference: The pH of a buffer solution remains unaffected

by dilution within reasonable limits.

• Chemical compatibility: Depending on the specific buffer system, it

might exhibit additional properties like good solubility, non-toxicity, or
compatibility with certain biological systems.
Examples of Buffer Solutions

• The bicarbonate • Citric acid and acetic • Phosphate buffers are

buffering system plays
a vital role in regulating
blood pH within a tight
range, crucial for
various physiological
functions.
acid buffers are used in
food products to
maintain
taste, texture, and color
stability.
commonly used in
biochemical
experiments to
maintain specific pH
conditions for enzymes
and other biomolecules.

Food Biological
Blood
industry experiments
Applications of Buffer Solutions in Medical Analysis

• Buffers maintain the pH • Buffers control the pH • Buffers regulate the pH

of blood samples for during antibody-antigen for enzymatic reactions
accurate measurement of binding, ensuring used in measuring
dissolved gases like sensitive and specific various metabolites,
oxygen and carbon detection of various electrolytes, and other
dioxide, crucial for analytes. analytes in blood and
assessing lung function other fluids.
and acid-base balance.
Biological
Blood gas
analysis ELISA Clinical
chemistry assays
Buffer Solution in Blood

In blood, the bicarbonate buffering system plays a crucial role in maintaining a

slightly basic pH (around 7.4), essential for various physiological functions.

Components:

•Weak acid: Carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) Chemical equation:

H₂CO₃ ⇌ HCO₃⁻ + H⁺
•Conjugate base: Bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻)
Buffer Solution in Blood_ Mechanism

Acid addition:
When excess acid enters the blood (e.g., from strenuous exercise), it reacts
with bicarbonate ions: HCO₃⁻ + H⁺ ⇌ H₂CO₃ (Le Chatelier's principle shifts
equilibrium to the right, consuming H⁺ and preventing significant pH drop)

Base addition:
If excess base enters the blood (e.g., from vomiting), it reacts with carbonic
acid: H₂CO₃ + OH⁻ ⇌ HCO₃⁻ + H₂O (equilibrium shifts to the left, consuming
OH⁻ and minimizing pH rise)
Reference(s)

• Skoog, D. A., West, D. M., Holler, F. J., and Crouch, S. R. (2022).

Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry. 10th Ed. Cengage, Inc. Student
Edition ISBN: 9780357450390.

• Semple, S.J.G., Mattock, G. and Uncles, R., 1962. A buffer standard for
blood pH measurements. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 237(3),
pp.963-967.

• Gilbert, D.L., 1960. Buffering of blood plasma. The Yale Journal of

Biology and Medicine, 32(5), p.378.