9651. Tricine

Nomenclature

CAS number: 5704-04-1
N-[2-Hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl]glycine; N-[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]glycine.
C6H13NO5; mol wt 179.17.
C 40.22%, H 7.31%, N 7.82%, O 44.65%.

Description and references

One of the zwitterionic amino acids known as “Good” buffers; active in the pH range 6-8.5. Prepn: N. E. Good, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 96, 653 (1962); and characterization: N. E. Good et al., Biochemistry 5, 467 (1966). Temperature effects on pK: R. N. Roy et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 95, 8231 (1973); M. L. Soni, R. C. Kapoor, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 20, 385 (1981); and on pH: R. N. Roy et al., Cryobiology 22, 589 (1985). Scavenger of hydroxyl radicals: M. Hicks, J. M. Gebicki, FEBS Lett. 199, 92 (1986); B. Halliwell et al., Anal. Biochem. 165, 215 (1987). Use as buffer: R. S. Gardner, J. Cell Biol. 42, 320 (1969); R. S. Spendlove et al., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 137, 258 (1971); H. Schaegger, G. Von Jagow, Anal. Biochem. 166, 368 (1987).

Chemical structure

Properties

Crystals from alcohol/water, mp 187°. pKa1 ≈2.3; pKa2 (0.1M): 0°, 8.6; 20°, 8.15; 37°, 7.8. pKa2 (20°): 8.15 (0.2M); 8.15 (0.01M). ΔpKa/°C 0.021. Saturated aqueous soln is 0.8M at 0°.

Use

Biological buffer.