Potassium Phosphate (pH 5.8 to 8.0) Preparation and Recipe

Potassium phosphate buffers, sometimes called Gomori buffers, consist of a mixture of monobasic dihydrogen phosphate and dibasic monohydrogen phosphate. These buffers have excellent buffering capacity and are highly soluble in water. However, potassium phosphate buffer reacts with some metal ions including calcium and magnesium, and inhibits enzymatic reactions. Additionally, all phosphates precipitate in ethanol, which can be deleterious to some nucleic acid preparations that typically use ethanol solutions. Potassium phosphate buffer is used in research fields ranging from molecular biology to botany, due to its adaptability and affordability.

To prepare

L of Potassium Phosphate (pH 5.8 to 8.0):

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

Current molarity: 0.1	Adjust the molarity of the solution by using the slider below
Current pH: 8	Adjust the pH of the solution by using the slider below

Table 1. Required components

Component	Amount	Concentration
Potassium phosphate dibasic (mw: 174.18 g / mol)	#	#
Potassium Phosphate Monobasic (mw: 136.09 g / mol)	#	#

Prepare 800 mL of dH2O in a suitable container.
Add # of Potassium phosphate dibasic to the solution
Add # of Potassium Phosphate Monobasic to the solution
Add dH2O until the volume is 1 L.

References

This online resource may be cited as follows

MLA	"Quest Calculate™ Potassium Phosphate (pH 5.8 to 8.0) Preparation and Recipe." AAT Bioquest, Inc., 17 Oct. 2025, https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/potassium-phosphate-ph-5-8-to-8-0.
APA	AAT Bioquest, Inc. (2025, October 17). Quest Calculate™ Potassium Phosphate (pH 5.8 to 8.0) Preparation and Recipe. AAT Bioquest. https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/potassium-phosphate-ph-5-8-to-8-0.
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This online resource has been cited in 1 publications, including

Detailed characterization of the cell wall structure and composition of nordic green microalgae

Authors:

Spain, Olivia and Funk, Christiane

Journal:

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (2022): 9711--9721