Re: What buffer solution is needed to decompose the protien albumin?

Hi Patricia,

A buffer, by definition, is a solution that resists changes in pH when a small amount of an acid or base is added to it. You can make an acidic (pH < 7) or a basic (pH > 7) buffer solution by combining a weak acid and it's salt or combining a weak base and it's salt, respectively. When choosing your buffers for any particular pH, you want the buffer to have a pKa very close to the target pH.

I'll offer up an example of a buffer solution that you could use for each of the pH's you want to test. The values in parentheses are the buffering ranges for each compound.

pH 4: Sodium Acetate/Acetic Acid (3.7-5.6)
pH 5: Potassium Hydrogen phthalate/Sodium Hydroxide (4.1-5.9)
pH 6: Disodium Hydrogen phthalate/Sodium Dihydrogen Orthophosphate (5.8- 8.0)

pH 7: Dipotassium Hydrogen phthalate/Potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (5.8-8.0)

pH 8: Barbitone Sodium/Hydrochloric Acid (6.8-9.6)
pH 9: Glycine/Sodium Hydroxide (8.6-10.6)
pH 10: Sodium Carbonate/Sodium Hydrogen carbonate (9.2-10.8)

Best of luck in your science fair!