Issue 21, 2021

Time-programmable pH: decarboxylation of nitroacetic acid allows the time-controlled rising of pH to a definite value

Abstract

In this report it is shown that nitroacetic acid 1 (O2NCH2CO2H) can be conveniently used to control the pH of a water solution over time. Time-programmable sequences of the kind pH1(high)–pH2(low)–pH3(high) can be achieved, where both the extent of the initial pH jump (pH1(high)–pH2(low)) and the time required for the subsequent pH rising (pH2(low)–pH3(high)) can be predictably controlled by a judicious choice of the absolute and relative concentrations of the reagents (acid 1 and NaOH). Successive pH1(high)–pH2(low)–pH3(high) sequences can be obtained by subsequent additions of acid 1. As a proof of concept, the method is applied to control over time the pH-dependent host–guest interaction between alpha-cyclodextrin and p-aminobenzoic acid.

Graphical abstract: Time-programmable pH: decarboxylation of nitroacetic acid allows the time-controlled rising of pH to a definite value

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
01 Mar 2021
Accepted
21 Apr 2021
First published
21 Apr 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 7460-7466

Time-programmable pH: decarboxylation of nitroacetic acid allows the time-controlled rising of pH to a definite value

D. Del Giudice, E. Spatola, M. Valentini, C. Bombelli, G. Ercolani and S. Di Stefano, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 7460 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC01196K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements