Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Leveling Effect01:29

Leveling Effect

In acid-base chemistry, the leveling effect refers to the limitation imposed by the solvent on the strength of acids and bases in solution. When a base stronger than the solvent's conjugate base is used, it deprotonates the solvent until the base is entirely consumed, making it ineffective against weaker acids. Conversely, an acid stronger than the solvent's conjugate acid protonates the solvent until the acid is depleted, rendering it ineffective against weaker bases. Essentially, the solvent...
Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions01:27

Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions

Acids and bases play several important roles in biology. The pH of a biological system can significantly impact the function of biological molecules, including enzymes, proteins, and nucleic acids. For example, enzymes have optimal pH ranges for their activity, and changes in pH can denature or alter their structure, affecting their function. Acids and bases also play a crucial role in cellular signaling and communication. The pH of the extracellular fluid around cells can influence the...
Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions03:26

Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions

An acid-base reaction is one in which a hydrogen ion, H+, is transferred from one chemical species to another. Such reactions are of central importance to numerous natural and technological processes, ranging from the chemical transformations within cells or lakes and oceans to the industrial-scale production of fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and other substances essential to the society.
Ladder Diagrams: Acid–Base Equilibria01:32

Ladder Diagrams: Acid–Base Equilibria

Understanding the chemistry between the reagents is necessary for performing any experiment. To this end, scientists have designed a tool called a ladder diagram, which is a graphical representation that helps illustrate the chemistry of a system.
A ladder diagram for acid-base equilibria consists of a vertical axis that represents pH and horizontal bars (steps on the ladder) that help position all the pKa values in the system. At equilibrium, the pH value of the system corresponds to one of...
Position of Equilibrium in Acid-Base Reactions02:05

Position of Equilibrium in Acid-Base Reactions

In any solution, the value of pKa indicates whether an acid is completely dissociated or not. A negative pKa corresponds to a stronger acid, whereas a positive pKa corresponds to a weaker acid. Consider the reaction between ammonia and an ethoxide ion. In this reaction, ethanol with a pKa of 15.9 is a stronger acid than ammonia with a pKa of 38. Recall that the strong acid forms a weak conjugate base, and a weak acid forms a strong conjugate base. Hence, the ethoxide ion is a weak base.
Bronsted-Lowry Acids and Bases02:58

Bronsted-Lowry Acids and Bases

The acid-base reaction class has been studied for quite some time. In 1680, Robert Boyle reported traits of acid solutions that included their ability to dissolve many substances, to change the colors of certain natural dyes, and to lose these traits after coming in contact with alkali (base) solutions. In the eighteenth century, it was recognized that acids have a sour taste, react with limestone to liberate a gaseous substance (now known to be CO2), and interact with alkalis to form neutral...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dual NHC/HAT-Promoted Esterification to Access α-Aryl Glycines.

Advanced synthesis & catalysis·2026
Same author

C(sp<sup>3</sup>)-H Carboxylation via Carbene/Photoredox Cooperative Catalysis.

ACS catalysis·2026
Same author

graphpancake: a Python package for representing organic molecules as molecular graphs utilizing electronic structure theory.

Journal of cheminformatics·2026
Same author

Erratum: Further correction: Reductive annulations of arylidene malonates with unsaturated electrophiles using photoredox/Lewis acid cooperative catalysis.

Chemical science·2026
Same author

Photochemical cyclization of α-amino esters to access 3-azetidinones.

Chemical science·2026
Same author

Second Harmonic Generation Electric Field Triplet Interferometry for Absolute Phasing.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026
Same journal

Gas-Responsive Metal-Organic Frameworks for Adaptive Thermal Energy Storage with Tunable Charge-Discharge Temperatures.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Engineering a Thiamine-Dependent Benzoylformate Decarboxylase for Stereodivergent Radical C(sp<sup>3</sup>)-C(sp<sup>3</sup>) Bond Formation.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Accelerated Directional Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Enabled by Intrinsic Dipole Field in Biomimetic α-Helical Structure.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Alternating Current-Driven Hydrogen Isotope Labeling of Aliphatic Amines Using 1,3-Propanedithiol as an Efficient Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reagent.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Two-Dimensional van der Waals Polar Metal MoOBr<sub>2</sub>.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Negatively Curved Chiral Bilayer Nanographene.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer
10:11

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer

Published on: April 19, 2021

Jammed acid-base reactions at interfaces.

Julianne M Gibbs-Davis1, Jennifer J Kruk, Christopher T Konek

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|November 14, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Interfacial acid-base chemistry tracks bulk pH at low salt. At higher salt concentrations, chemistry is delayed for hours, then occurs rapidly, showing hysteresis and lagging bulk processes.

More Related Videos

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface
13:22

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface

Published on: November 2, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer
10:11

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer

Published on: April 19, 2021

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface
13:22

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface

Published on: November 2, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Surface Science
  • Nonlinear Optics

Background:

  • Acid-base chemistry is crucial for many interfacial processes.
  • Understanding interfacial pH dynamics is essential for fields like electrochemistry and materials science.
  • Nonlinear optical techniques offer sensitive probes of interfacial phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of salt concentration on acid-base reactions at aqueous/solid interfaces.
  • To determine the kinetics and mechanisms governing interfacial acid-base chemistry under varying ionic strengths.
  • To explore the phenomenon of hysteresis in interfacial acid-base titrations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized nonlinear optics to monitor interfacial acid-base reactions in real-time.
  • Systematically varied alkali halide salt concentrations (10-100 mM) in aqueous solutions.
  • Analyzed reaction delay times and rates as a function of salt type and concentration.

Main Results:

  • Interfacial acid-base chemistry accurately tracked bulk pH at low salt concentrations.
  • Significant delays (hours) in interfacial reactions were observed at 10-100 mM salt.
  • Reaction rates followed the kinetic salt effect, with delay times correlating with anion polarizability and cation hydration.
  • Massive hysteresis was observed in interfacial acid-base titrations.
  • Interfacial systems exhibited spatial and temporal lags compared to bulk acid-base chemistry when Debye length approached 1 nm.

Conclusions:

  • Salt concentration dramatically alters the kinetics of interfacial acid-base chemistry.
  • The observed delays and hysteresis are attributed to ionic interactions influencing the interfacial layer.
  • Interfacial pH can significantly lag behind bulk pH in systems with Debye lengths near 1 nm, impacting processes sensitive to pH cycling.