How do I prepare a sloution using equivalents (eq) of sodium hydroxide (NaOH)?
Aqueous solutions of some amino acids can be difficult to achieve, so a common technique is to use 1 molar equivalents (1eq.) of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a solubility aid. We generally recommend that a 100 mM sodium hydroxide solution is used to dissolve the active compound. One litre of 100 mM NaOH solution is made up by dissolving 4.00 g of sodium hydroxide in 1 litre of water. Take the molecular weight (M.W.) of the compound as detailed on the vial label and data sheet and calculate the amount in grams (M.W./10) required to form a 100 mM solution when 1L solvent is added (X). From this, calculate the amount in grams required to form a 100 mM solution when 1 ml solvent is added (X/1000). 1 ml of the NaOH stock solution prepared above can now be added to this weight to dissolve the compound. In some cases warming of the solution or sonication may aid solubilisation.
