Citrate-Phosphate Buffer (0.15 M, pH 5.0) Preparation and Recipe

A traditional buffer originally introduced in 1921. Since the Citrate-Phosphate buffer (also known as the McIlvaine buffer) only has 2 ingredients, the recipe can be adjusted to a pH range of 3-8. It is used for multiple applications in cell biology, molecular biology, and hematology.

To prepare

L of Citrate-Phosphate Buffer (0.15 M, pH 5.0):

Change the value in the textbox above to scale the recipe volume

Table 1. Required components

Component	Amount	Concentration
Sodium Phosphate Dibasic Dihydrate (mw: 177.99 g / mol)	#	#
Citric Acid (mw: 192.12 g / mol)	#	#

Prepare 800 mL of distilled water in a suitable container.
Add # of Sodium Phosphate Dibasic Dihydrate to the solution
Add # of Citric Acid to the solution
Adjust solution to final desired pH using HCl or NaOH
Add distilled water until the volume is 1 L.

References

This online resource may be cited as follows

MLA	"Quest Calculate™ Citrate-Phosphate Buffer (0.15 M, pH 5.0) Preparation and Recipe." AAT Bioquest, Inc., 15 Nov. 2025, https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/citrate-phosphate-buffer-ph-5.
APA	AAT Bioquest, Inc. (2025, November 15). Quest Calculate™ Citrate-Phosphate Buffer (0.15 M, pH 5.0) Preparation and Recipe. AAT Bioquest. https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/citrate-phosphate-buffer-ph-5.
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