A Precise Method for Processing Data to Determine the Dissociation Constants of Polyhydroxy Carboxylic Acids via Potentiometric Titration.

The thermodynamic dissociation constants of xylonic acid and gluconic acid were studied via potentiometric methods, and the results were verified using lactic acid, which has a known pKa value, as a model compound. Solutions of xylonic acid and gluconic acid were titrated with a standard solution of sodium hydroxide. The determined pKa data were processed via the method of derivative plots using computer software, and the accuracy was validated using the Gran method. The dissociation constants associated with the carboxylic acid group of xylonic and gluconic acids were determined to be pKa = 3.56 ± 0.07 and pKa = 3.74 ± 0.06, respectively. Further, the experimental data showed that the second deprotonation constants associated with a hydroxyl group of each of the two acids were pKa = 8.58 ± 0.12 and pKa = 7.06 ± 0.08, respectively. The deprotonation behavior of polyhydroxy carboxylic acids was altered using various ratios with Cu(II) to form complexes in solution, and this led to proposing a hypothesis for further study.