SCH 4U6

Ashwin Baskaran

TITRATION
ZWITTERIONS
Y SO DIFFICULT?

50

I.

T I T R A T I N G P ROTO NA T E D A L A N I N E ( 5 0 )

Amino acids have both an acidic carboxylic acid functional group (COOH) and a basic amino functional group (NH2). The amino group can be protonated in a strongly acidic solution. This is a diprotic acid of the form H2A+, as in the following protonated amino acid alanine:

This protonated amino acid has two ionisable protons that can be titrated with OH- : O +H NCHCOH 3 CH3
protonated form

OH-

O +H NCHCO3 CH3
neutral form

OH-

O H2NCHCO CH3
anionic form

(H2A+)

(HA)
COOH group, pKa1 = 2.34 NH3+ group, pKa2 = 9.69

(A-)

The dominant form of alanine present at the first equivalence point is electrically neutral (a net charge of 0). The point at which the neutral form is produced is called the isoelectric point. The pH at the isoelectric point is given by the equation: pH = (pKa1 + pKa2) 1. Consider the titration of a 0.300M solution of alanine hydrochloride with 0.300M NaOH solution: a) What is the pH of the 0.300M alanine hydrochloride? (5)

b) What is the pH of the solution at the first half-neutralization point? (2) c) d) e) f) What is the pH of the solution at the first equivalence point? (7) What is the pH of the solution halfway between the first and second equivalence points? (2) What is the pH of the solution at the second equivalence point? (5) Calculate the pH values of the analyte solution when the following volumes of the 0.300M NaOH have been added to 50mL of the 0.300M alanine hydrochloride solution: a. g) 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, 40.0. 50.0. 60.0. 70.0. 80.0, 90.0, 100.0, 110.0 mL (22)

Sketch the titration curve for the 0.500M solution of alanine hydrochloride, and label all significant points on the curve. (7)