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Buffer Solution

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52 views

Buffer Solution

,bjkhjukhj

Uploaded by

umarbinmutee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What Is a Buffer Solution?

The buffer solution is a solution able to maintain its hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
with only minor changes in the dilution or addition of a small amount of either acid or
base. Buffer solutions are used in fermentation, food preservatives, drug delivery,
electroplating, printing and the activity of enzymes, and the blood oxygen-carrying
capacity needs specific hydrogen ion concentration (pH).

Solutions of a weak acid and its conjugate base or weak base and its conjugate acid are
able to maintain pH and are buffer solutions.

Types of Buffer Solutions


The two primary types into which buffer solutions are broadly classified are acidic and
alkaline buffers.

Acidic Buffers
As the name suggests, these solutions are used to maintain acidic environments. Acid
buffer has acidic pH and is prepared by mixing a weak acid and its salt with a strong
base. An aqueous solution of an equal concentration of acetic acid and sodium acetate
has a pH of 4.74.

 The pH of these solutions is below seven.


 These solutions consist of a weak acid and a salt of a weak acid.
 An example of an acidic buffer solution is a mixture of sodium acetate and acetic acid (pH =
4.75).

Alkaline Buffers
These buffer solutions are used to maintain basic conditions. A basic buffer has a basic
pH and is prepared by mixing a weak base and its salt with strong acid. The aqueous
solution of an equal concentration of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride has
a pH of 9.25.

 The pH of these solutions is above seven.


 They contain a weak base and a salt of the weak base.
 An example of an alkaline buffer solution is a mixture of ammonium hydroxide and
ammonium chloride (pH = 9.25).

Also Read

 Acid and Base


 pH Scale and Acidity
 pH and Solutions

Mechanism of a Buffering Action


In solution, the salt is completely ionized, and the weak acid is partly ionized.

 CH3COONa ⇌ Na+ + CH3COO–


 CH3COOH ⇌ H+ + CH3COO–

On Addition of Acid and Base


1. On addition of acid, the released protons of acid will be removed by the acetate ions
to form an acetic acid molecule.

H+ + CH3COO– (from added acid) ⇌ CH3COOH (from buffer solution)

2. On addition of the base, the hydroxide released by the base will be removed by the
hydrogen ions to form water.

HO– + H+ (from added base) ⇌ H2O (from buffer solution)

Preparation of a Buffer Solution


If the dissociation constant of the acid (pKa) and of the base (pKb) is known, a buffer
solution can be prepared by controlling the salt-acid or the salt-base ratio.

As discussed earlier, these solutions are prepared by mixing the weak bases with their
corresponding conjugate acids or by mixing weak acids with their corresponding
conjugate bases.

An example of this method of preparing buffer solutions can be given by the preparation
of a phosphate buffer by mixing HPO42- and H2PO4-. The pH maintained by this solution

is 7.4.
Handerson-Hasselbalch Equation

Preparation of Acid Buffer


Consider an acid buffer solution containing a weak acid (HA) and its salt (KA) with a
strong base (KOH). Weak acid HA ionizes, and the equilibrium can be written as

HA + H2O ⇋ H+ + A−

Acid dissociation constant = Ka = [H+] [A–]/HA

Taking the negative log of RHS and LHS,

pH of acid buffer = pKa + ([salt]/[acid])

The equation is the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, popularly known as the


Henderson equation.

Preparation of a Base Buffer


Consider a base buffer solution containing a weak base (B) and its salt (BA) with strong
acid.

pOH, can be derived as above.

 pOH of a basic buffer = pKb + log ([salt]/[acid])

 pH of a basic buffer = pKa – log ([salt]/[acid])

Significance of the Handerson Equation


Handerson equation can be used to

1. Calculate the pH of the buffer prepared from a mixture of salt and weak acid/base.
2. Calculate the pKa value.
3. Prepare buffer solution of needed pH.

Limitations of Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation


The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation cannot be used for strong acids and strong
bases.

Buffering Capacity
The number of mill moles of acid or base to be added to a litre of buffer solution to
change the pH by one unit is the buffer capacity of the buffer.

Β = mill moles /(ΔpH)

Problems on Buffer Solution


Problem 1: What is the ratio of base to acid when pH = pKa in buffer solution? How
about when pH = PKa + 1?

Sol:

pH = pKa when the ratio of base to acid is 1 because log 1 = 0

When log (base/acid) = 1, then the ratio of base to acid is 10:1

Problem 2: What is the pH of a buffered solution of 0.5 M ammonia and 0.5 M


ammonium chloride when enough hydrochloric acid corresponds to make 0.15 M HCl?

Sol:

The pKb of ammonia is 4.75.

pKa = 14 – pKb. = 9.25

0.15 M H+ reacts with 0.15 M ammonia to form 0.15 M more ammonium.

So, the ammonium ion is 0.65 M and 0.35 M remaining ammonia (base).

Using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation,


pKa – log ([salt]/[acid]) = 9.25 – log (.65/.35) = 9.25 – .269 = 8.98

Problem 3: How many moles of sodium acetate and acetic acid must you use to
prepare 1.00 L of a 0.100 mol/L buffer with pH 5.00?

Sol:

pH = pKa + log([A−][HA])

5.00 = 4.74 + log([A−][HA])

log([A−][HA]) = 0.26

[A−][HA]=10.26 = 1.82

[A⁻] = 1.82[HA]

Also, [A⁻] + [HA] = 0.100 mol/L

1.82[HA] + [HA] = 0.100 mol/L

2.82[HA] = 0.100 mol/L

[HA] = 0.0355 mol/L


[A⁻] = (0.100 – 0.0355) mol/L = 0.0645 mol/L
0.0355 mol of acetic acid and 0.0645 mol of sodium acetate is required to prepare 1 L of
the buffer solution.

pH Maintenance
In order to understand how buffer solutions maintain a constant pH, let us consider the
example of a buffer solution containing sodium acetate and acetic acid.

In this example, it can be noted that the sodium acetate almost completely undergoes
ionization, whereas the acetic acid is only weakly ionized. These equilibrium reactions
can be written as

 CH3COOH ⇌ H+ + CH3COO–
 CH3COONa ⇌ Na+ + CH3COO–
When strong acids are added, the H+ ions combine with the CH3COO– ions to give a
weakly ionised acetic acid, resulting in a negligible change in the pH of the environment.

When strongly alkaline substances are introduced to this buffer solution, the hydroxide
ions react with the acids which are free in the solution to yield water molecules, as
shown in the reaction given below.

CH3COOH + OH– ⇌ CH3COO– + H2O

Therefore, the hydroxide ions react with the acid to form water, and the pH remains the
same.

Uses of Buffer Solutions


 There exist a few alternate names that are used to refer to buffer solutions, such as pH
buffers or hydrogen ion buffers.
 An example of the use of buffers in pH regulation is the use of bicarbonate and carbonic acid
buffer system in order to regulate the pH of animal blood.
 Buffer solutions are also used to maintain an optimum pH for enzyme activity in many
organisms.
 The absence of these buffers may lead to the slowing of the enzyme action, loss in enzyme
properties, or even denaturing of the enzymes. This denaturation process can even
permanently deactivate the catalytic action of the enzymes.

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