What is tricine?

Tricine is a zwitterionic amino acid derivative commonly used as a buffering agent in biological and biochemical studies. It is often used in electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) to maintain a stable pH environment.

Some key characteristics of tricine include:

  • Molecular formula: C6H13NO5
  • Molecular weight: 179.17 g/mol
  • pKa: 8.1
  • pH range: 7.4 – 9.0
  • Solubility: Soluble in water and alcohol

Tricine is also known for its ability to form stable complexes with metal ions, making it useful in metal ion chelation studies. Additionally, tricine is non-toxic and has low UV absorbance, making it suitable for sensitive analytical techniques.

Overall, tricine is a versatile buffering agent that is widely used in various biochemical and molecular biology applications due to its effectiveness in maintaining a stable pH environment.