0.1 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) recipe
An acidic buffer for pH 3.7–5.6, used for lysosomal and other acid enzymes, binding assays and some antigen-retrieval variants.
🧮 Volume calculator
| Component | Amount | Final concentration (1X) |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium acetate trihydrate | 4.79 g | 70.4 mM |
| Glacial acetic acid | 850 µL | 29.6 mM |
| Water (distilled) | to final volume |
Steps
- Dissolve sodium acetate in about 80% of the final volume of water and add the acetic acid.
- Check pH 5.0 with a meter and fine-tune with acetic acid or NaOH.
- Bring to the final volume with water.
- Autoclave (121 °C, 20 min) and store at room temperature.
Good to know
- Mix 0.2 M acetic acid : 0.2 M sodium acetate (then to 100 mL): pH 4.0 = 41 : 9, 4.5 = 25.5 : 24.5, 5.0 = 14.8 : 35.2, 5.5 = 4.8 : 45.2.
FAQ
Is this the same as 3 M sodium acetate for DNA precipitation?
No — that is a concentrated 3 M salt at pH 5.2; this is a 0.1 M reaction buffer.
This is a widely used standard composition. Amounts depend on the hydrate form and purity of your reagents — check the formula weight (FW) on the bottle and follow your institution's safety rules and the manufacturers' instructions.